When it comes to heart health, it is essential to take preventive measures and monitor your overall condition. Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat the narrowing of the arteries, which can be caused by blockages that can lead to potential damage caused by fatty deposits known as plaque build-up. But there’s another term you may have heard: FFR in angioplasty. So what exactly does this mean? Read on for more information about this important topic to ensure your heart remains healthy, and you know all the treatments available!
What is FFR?
In angioplasty, FFR (Fractional Flow Reserve) measures the pressure difference between the two sides of a blocked artery. It helps physicians assess how significantly narrowed an artery is and determine how to best treat it. The FFR number ranges from 0 to 1 and measures the flow that can go through a narrowed artery. A lower value indicates greater narrowing and a higher risk of developing potentially fatal cardiac events such as heart attack or stroke. If the FFR value is less than 0.8, physicians may recommend interventions such as stenting or open heart surgery to improve blood flow to reduce these risks.
On the other hand, if the FFR value is above 0.8, conservative medical treatment may be the preferred option. FFR is an important tool for helping determine whether an angioplasty is likely to result in improved outcomes and thus improve patient prognosis.
How does FFR work?
Pressure-Wire Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) is a technique that can be used in angioplasty to assess the severity of coronary artery disease. During an angioplasty, a catheter with sensors at its tip is guided through the heart’s arteries and connected to a pressure monitor. When this device measures the pressure inside an artery, it can determine whether there is significant blockage or narrowing along the vessel wall. If so, FFR can measure how much blood flow reduction occurs compared to normal arterial walls. The results are expressed as a fraction—a ratio between the reduced and normal flow.
The main benefit of using FFR during angioplasty is that it helps to identify the most severe blockages. Measuring pressure within the artery can tell doctors which areas of the vessel are affected and how much damage has been done. This information helps them decide if a stent should be placed to improve blood flow through that area. FFR also allows physicians to determine when additional treatments, such as balloon angioplasty or stenting, need to be performed on other parts of the coronary artery system to prevent future blockages or heart-related complications.
Overall, Pressure-Wire Fractional Flow Reserve is an important tool for guiding treatment choices during angioplasty procedures, helping physicians ensure that they provide their patients with the best possible outcome.
Advantages of using FFR in Angioplasty
The use of FFR in angioplasty offers several benefits, including improved patient outcomes, reduced costs, and increased accuracy. Here are seven benefits associated with the use of FFR in angioplasty:
1. Improved Outcomes:
Studies have found that using FFR during an angioplasty procedure can lower post-procedure mortality rates by up to 50%. This is because FFR reduces the risk of restenosis (re-narrowing) after the procedure and can help identify areas where additional intervention may be needed.
2. Reduced Costs:
FFR can reduce the cost of treating coronary artery disease (CAD) by helping physicians target problem areas within a vessel more accurately and avoid unnecessary treatments.
3. Increased Accuracy:
FFR can help physicians better diagnose and manage complex CAD cases by providing more detailed information about the pressure within a vessel. This allows for better decision-making during treatment and helps reduce the risk of inaccurate diagnoses or treatments.
4. Improved Risk-stratification:
FFR can be used to accurately identify high-risk lesions that require immediate intervention and low-risk lesions that may not need additional treatments or medications.
5. Better Decision Making:
By using FFR during an angioplasty procedure, physicians can make better-informed decisions about when to intervene and when it is safe to leave a lesion untreated.
6. Improved Physician Comfort Level:
FFR provides a more detailed view of the pressure within a vessel, which can help physicians feel more confident about their decisions during treatment.
7. Reduced Radiation Exposure:
FFR has been shown to reduce radiation exposure for both the patient and physician by providing a non-invasive means of assessing lesion severity. This reduces the risk of long-term adverse effects associated with radiation exposure.
Overall, using FFR in angioplasty offers numerous benefits that can improve patient outcomes and reduce costs associated with CAD treatments. By accurately assessing lesion severity and risk stratification, FFR helps physicians make better-informed decisions during treatment and improves patient safety and satisfaction. If you are looking for a best angioplasty surgeon in Jaipur, Dr. Atul Kasliwal will be the best option.