Preoperative Cardiac Evaluation in Kidney Transplant Patients: Is Coronary Angiography Superior? A Focused Review.

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease patients. Because of a higher occurrence of asymptomatic coronary artery disease and increased perioperative cardiovascular mortality in kidney transplant patients, screening for coronary artery disease before transplant surgery is essential. Various studies have shown that cardiac stress testing is an unreliable screening method in these patients because of significant variability in sensitivity and negative predictive value. We suggest that high-risk candidates such as those with diabetes or a prior history of myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, or coronary artery disease should perhaps be considered for coronary angiography rather than stress testing as cardiac screening before kidney transplantation.