March 3, 2009 – Researchers in The Netherlands say contrast dose in the cath lab can be significantly reduced or eliminated by using a combination of multislice CT angiography, magnetic navigation, fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement catheters, and IVUS.
The trial was led by Robert Jan van Geuns, M.D., PhD, Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. His team used these modalities to perform PCI with little or no contrast in 15 patients with single-vessel or complex multivessel disease. The results of their study are explained in an article released today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (March 3, 2009, Vol., 53, No. 9).
CTA-derived data was coregistered and overlaid on hybrid, real-time fluoroscopic images employing the magnetic navigation system. Functional assessment of the lesion was performed with FFR measurements. Intravascular ultrasound was used to determine optimal stent size and length and to facilitate stent positioning.
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