Physiological Assessment of Coronary Lesions in 2020

AbstractPurpose of reviewPhysiological assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD) is an essential component of the interventional cardiology toolbox. However, despite long-term data demonstrating improved outcomes, physiology-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains underutilized in current practice. This review outlines the indications and technical aspects involved in evaluating coronary stenosis physiology, focusing on the latest developments in the field.Recent findingsBeyond fractional flow reserve (FFR), non-hyperemic pressure ratios (NHPR) that assess coronary physiology at rest without hyperemia now abound. Additional advances in other alternative FFR approaches, including non-invasive coronary CT (FFRCT), invasive angiography (FFRangio), and optical coherence tomography (FFROCT), are being realized. Artificial intelligence algorithms and robust tools that enable detailed pre-procedure “virtual” intervention are also emerging.SummaryThe benefits of coronary physiological assessment to determine lesion functional significance are well established. In addition to stable CAD, coronary physiology can be especially helpful in clinical scenarios such as left main and multivessel CAD, serial lesions, non-infarct-related arteries in acute coronary syndromes, and residual ischemia post-PCI. Today, coronary physiological assessment remains an indispensable tool in the catheterization laboratory, with an exciting technological future that will further refine ...
Source: Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research