Jodhpur, April 2022.

With the advancement of medical technologies in the country, Dr Dhruva Sharma, Director - Interventional Cardiology at Krishna Super Specialty Hospital, Jodhpur, urges heart patients in India to have better awareness to seek superior cardiac care and treatment.

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. Several studies conducted around the world also highlight that IVUS guided procedures are more accurate and even more cost effective.

Elaborating on the significance of HD IVUS, Dr Dhruva said “Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) allows us to see a coronary artery from the inside-out. This unique HD 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.Stent deployment done under the guidance of Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS), has better possibility of optimal result even in the most complex cases and better patient outcome.”

The highly advanced HD IVUS system works on the principle of ultrasound waves. It comprises of the catheter, a tube equipped with a special 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-degreeinternal view and far greater clarity. The superiority of HD 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.

Elaborating the significance of HD IVUS Dr Dhruva said, “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. Heart patients must be aware of such advanced technologies available in the country today for superior cardiac care and treatment.”

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