IVUS (INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND)

Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) is an imaging method that uses a specially designed catheter and a miniaturized ultrasound probe or a transducer that allows physicians to see inside and visualize the inner wall (endothelium) of blood vessels in patients. The arteries of the heart are most frequently examined using IVUS to determine the buildup of atheromatous plaque within the epicardial coronary artery. Accumulation of plaque inside the artery walls over the years is the cause of stenosis and heart attacks in patients. Since IVUS does not use ionizing radiation for imaging purposes, it leaves no harmful side effects in patients and provides the physician with a clear image of soft tissues that do not show up in X-ray imaging for better diagnosis of underlying ailments.

IVUS is particularly useful where angiographic imaging is unreliable at best, such as in the case of ostial lesions or in regions with multiple overlapping arterial segments where angiographic imaging cannot sufficiently visualize lumen segments for proper examination by the physician. It is also useful is assessment of stenosis treatment, to see where the stent needs to be placed or to see whether the stent was placed correctly or not. IVUS enables the physicians to visualize the lumen of the artery accurately and also identify the atheroma membrane hidden within the artery walls, thus providing a thorough perspective for better diagnosis and treatment of the condition in patients.