OCT Imaging Helps to See Heart Blockage More Clearly & Stent Placement More Accurately: Dr Manan & Dr Praveen

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Amritsar 31^st August:- "Optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography is a promising diagnostic tool and has revolutionized the cardiac angiography where cardiologists can see the clogged arteries clearly and with more accuracy.  It has in fact opened new horizons for intravascular coronary imaging and has become like a "third eye" of interventional cardiologist."

This was stated by Dr Manan Anand , Head of Cardiology at Nayyar Hospital, Amritsar while addressing a press conference at Hotel Hyatt here on Saturday.

He said further that OCT is a light-based catheter which acquires on an image inside the heart blood vessel.

Dr Manan Anand informed that OCT is a recently-developed, catheter-based Intravascular Imaging Technology that provides micron-scale resolution. It is a laser light equivalent of ultrasound imaging, measuring the intensity of backscattered infrared light rather than sound waves, and translates these optical echoes into a high-resolution, two-dimensional tomographic image.

OCT has the highest imaging resolution of any currently-available technology; he said by adding that OCT imaging is also very helpful in post angioplasty to see the positioning of the stent within the vessel and clearance of blockage.

Talking about the need of awareness on quality stents among patients, Dr. Praveen Chandra, the Chairman of the Division of Interventional Cardiology at Medanta –The Medicity said that in 2017 the government has brought prices of all types of stents equal. He added that now in this scenario, it becomes very important for those going for insertion of stents to open clogged heart arteries to be aware of quality of stents. In fact it becomes duty of patient and his or her attendants to ask the surgeon to use quality stent.

Stressing upon the need to do Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) , Dr Praveen said that FFR should be done on each heart blockage patient so that it can be ascertained that he or she requires stenting. FFR is used to determine if a cardiac patient really needs a stent or bypass surgery or can be kept only on medicines avoiding any procedure, he informed.

Dr Praveen said that Dr Manan Anand is already doing complex cardiac interventional procedures at Nayyar Hospital, Amritsar. 

Meanwhile a workshop of complex heart procedures and OCT guided angioplasty was also held in evening at hotel where both Dr Praveen and Dr Manan discussed latest developments in cardiology treatment.