IVUS technology gaining popularity

Intravascular ultrasound, an advanced imaging technique mostly used in Japan, has become popular in India in dealing with quite a high volume of complex angioplasties.
"In India, the use of Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is steadily gaining acceptance and is clearly likely to rise in coming years," Debdatta Bhattacharya, consultant cardiologist and chief of Cath Lab services, Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, here told PTI.
The cardiologist, who recently treated a 40-year-old female cardiac patient diagnosed with a blockage in the left main coronary artery, said that a stent was implanted with the aid of angiography.
Though the angiography showed that the angioplasty was a success, as a corroboration process intravascular ultrasound was performed.

"Intravascular ultrasound, a much more advanced imaging technique, brought to light the need of high pressure balloon dilation since the stent was not properly apposed.
Post this high pressure balloon dilation was performed with the aid of IVUS. The operation was a success. The patient has now recovered and has been discharged," he said.
He said that IVUS provides very precise measurements of luminal cross sectional area of coronary arteries. It also provides a fairly reliable picture of plaque characteristics by virtual histology, which ultimately proves beneficial for a heart patient.
Sometimes coronary lesions that appear of doubtful significance are well sorted out by IVUS which precludes unnecessary interventions, Bhattacharya said.