Intravascular Ultrasound a boon for heart patients and cardiologists too

Aimed at creating better awareness on the aspects of this technology, which benefits patients and helps cardiologists perfect the procedure, the workshop, conducted by Apollo Hospital, Vanagaram, was held in the presence of world-renowned cardiologist Dr Imad Sheiban, director, Interventional Cardiology, Pederzoli Hospital, University of Turin, Verona, Italy.

More than 100 practitioners in the field of interventional cardiology participated in the workshop. Stating that 74 per cent of urban Indians are at risk of cardiovascular disease, a doctor said, “A heart attack can occur in a coronary artery that looks completely normal on angiography, but latest advancements like intravascular ultrasound and OCT reveal the ultimate and precise cause of the incident. The blocked coronary artery may look completely normal in the standard two-dimensional shadow imaging angiography. But when the same segment is viewed cross-sectionally using intravascular ultrasound, it gives a clear and precise imaging that helps the surgeon in performing the procedure with utmost accuracy.”

The workshop was conducted by Imad Sheiban along with Dr Anand Gnanaraj, senior interventional cardiologist, Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Vanagaram.

Dr Sheiban said, “Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) is better. By measuring the area of the blood vessel in cross-section rather than its diameter, the accuracy of the assessment increases significantly. Image-guided precision angioplasty is a procedure that transformed cardiac care and helped improve patient care.”

In the last five years, robust data is available to prove that adding other imaging modalities like IVUS and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) improves the outcomes of angioplasty both short- and long-term. It is undoubtedly the best way to perform complex angioplasties.

“Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were significantly reduced by 64 per cent by IVUS guidance, compared to angiography alone. In cardiovascular medicine, only a few interventions/medications have been shown to reduce clinical outcomes so dramatically as IVUS-guided percutaneous coronary intervention. Reducing cardiac events after a procedure to such a magnitude is a very crucial milestone in interventional cardiology,” said Dr Anand Gnanaraj.