IVUS Angioplasty

Verified by: Dr. Rahul Gupta, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Rhythm Disorder & Valve Expert (TAVI, Mitra Clip), Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guided angioplasty is a minimally invasive medical procedure used to diagnose and treat blockages in the blood vessels. It combines the use of intravascular ultrasound imaging and angioplasty techniques to assess the condition of blood vessels and perform therapeutic interventions. IVUS angioplasty has proven to be a valuable tool in the field of interventional cardiology, providing detailed information about the structure and composition of blood vessel walls and aiding in precise treatment planning.

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What happens during intravascular ultrasound guided angioplasty?

1. Using a miniature ultrasound probe, the cardiologist is able to see the blockage in real-time. By navigating around the blockage with the probe, they are able to accurately provide treatment on the affected area without impacting nearby vessels and healthy tissue. The information provided by this state-of-the-art ultrasound probe like the characteristics of the blockage, the size of the vessel and the length of the blockage helps the doctors to choose the right tools and technique for angioplasty resulting in excellent outcomes.
2. The angioplasty begins by inserting a catheter equipped with a tiny balloon through the artery to the site of the blockage. Once in position, the balloon is inflated to compress the plaque (substance blocking the arteries) and widen the artery for better blood flow. After ballooning, a stent is implanted to keep the artery open.
3. The procedure itself can take several minutes and requires expertise from the cardiologist. After the completion of the angioplasty, the arterial tissue recovers and returns back to normal.

Advantages of IVUS guided angioplasty

• IVUS provides a more accurate assessment of the blood vessel wall, helping to tailor the treatment strategy to each patient’s specific needs.
• Angiography provides a 2D image of the coronary blood vessel whereas, an IVUS provides 3D image of the same.
• IVUS can identify and help an interventional cardiologist to decide whether additional interventions, such as atherectomy or stenting, are necessary.
• By visualizing the vessel walls, IVUS also reduces the risk of complications after an IVUS guided angioplasty than when done through angiography.

With the use of these advanced devices, we have been treating very complex and high-risk patients with safety and precision who otherwise have lost all hopes of getting better due to the fear of future complications. One such scenario is where patient needs a bypass surgery but cannot be done due to severe problems with other organs of the body. Another situation is where angiography does not provide all the information needed for treatment as angiography sees the heart from the outside while IVUS or OCT camera goes inside the heart to provide real time accurate information.

We at Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai aim to be a destination for structural heart in the western region. Our cardiac experts manage complex heart diseases like coronary artery diseases, valve diseases, cardiomyopathy and congenital heart diseases. With the use of the least invasive techniques, the patient benefits with minimal scars and less hospital stay.

Call 022 6280 6280 or visit Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai for more details on IVUS guided angioplasty.