Heart patients in India have access to advanced techniques such as IVUS

Jammu, October 21, 2021. The pandemic has put renewed focus on the health and well-being of heart patients. Dr Sushant Sharma, Chief Interventional Cardiologist, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Katra urges heart patients in India to have better awareness and ask for many advanced technologies available in India today for superior cardiac care.

Medical technologies are ever advancing and surgeons now advice cardiac procedures that are less invasive, less traumatic and reduce the chances of re- occurrence of cardiac events. So, stent deployment done under the guidance of Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS), ensures optimal result even in the most complex cases and results in better patient outcome.

Referring to IVUS, Dr Sharma said “Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) allows us to see a coronary artery from the inside-out. This unique view provides us with critical clinical information that is not possible with routine imaging methods, such as coronary angiography, performed in the cath lab, or even non-invasive CT scans.”

Several studies conducted around the world also highlight that IVUS guided procedures are more accurate and even more cost effective. The superiority of IVUS lies in its three-dimensional detailed internal image transmission of all the layers of the blood vessel viz-a-viz angiography that offers only an external two-dimensional view. IVUS enables the identification of the blockage, selecting the right stent size and confirming its right placement post-stenting to minimize future risk for the patient.

The highly advanced IVUS system works on the principle of ultrasound waves. It comprises of the catheter, a tube equipped with a special probe or camera at one end which has ultrasound properties to capture the image of the inner aspect of blood vessels on a real-time basis. The other end of the tube is attached to a machine which converts the image captured through the ultrasound mechanism and displays them on a monitor, offering the surgeon a complete 360-degree internal view and far greater clarity. Recently there have been further advances in IVUS imaging with the introduction of newer generation catheters which provide even sharper and high-definition imaging of the arteries, which further improves the diagnosis and treatment plan.

With new advancements in technology for treating artery blockages in the heart, it is also advisable to use products such as drug eluting stents which have proven to be of immense benefit to heart patients. The latest generation Platinum Chromium stents helps in optimizing PCI results and provide better clinical outcomes even in complex patient cases. The procedural results can be further optimized using IVUS for successful therapy results.

Elaborating the significance of IVUS Dr Sharma says, “This cross-section view enhances the understanding of the nature of the blockage or the composition of the plaque, to take informed decisions on treatment plan and stent size. It further supports in determining the optimal placement and expansion of the stent post the procedure to help reduce complications and the incidence of stent thrombosis.”

IVUS is particularly effective in high risk subgroups, specifically in patients with diabetes, ACS, and Impaired Renal Function. IVUS-Guided PCI is found to be more cost effective than Angio-Guided PCI in Studies.