Cardiac surgery artifact

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Cardiac surgery artifact

  • Surgical artifacts such as sternotomy wires and metallic heart valves are common artifacts seen on chest X-rays
  • This patient also has a single chamber pacemaker
  • Note the signs of heart failure – large heart, prominent upper zone vessels and pulmonary oedema

Coronary artery bypass graft clips

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CABG clips

  • Patients who have had coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) will often have visible metallic vascular clips seen on their post-operative chest X-ray
  • These clips are placed to prevent flow through the branches of the internal mammary arteries which are used to form the coronary artery bypass

Prosthetic heart valves

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Prosthetic heart valves

  • This patient had previously undergone mitral and aortic valve replacement surgery – see the metallic heart valve artifact
  • New signs of heart failure are evident – large heart, prominent upper zone vessels, septal lines (Kerley B lines), and pleural effusions

Page author: Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust UK (Read bio)

Last reviewed: October 2019