What is IVUS?

IVUS is a medical imaging using a special catheter with a miniature ultrasound probe attached to the end of the catheter inserted into the coronary artery. It allows seeing inside-out look at the arteries, visualizing the inner wall of blood vessels in living individuals.

Aim of IVUS

To determine the appropriate type of revascularization procedure, during the intervention,for example, to determine the appropriate placement of a stent, plaque composition, and finally after the intervention to determine the acute procedural success.

Performing IVUS

In order to perform IVUS, a small tube known as a catheter is placed in an artery in the patient's groin (cardiac catheterization). Mostly, IVUS is done during cardiac catheterization, a procedure used to diagnose and treat some heart ailments. With the injection of a special dye, cardiac catheterization offers a view of any buildup on a patient's coronary arteries. An IVUS can identify cholesterol and fat deposits (or plaque) - a build-up of which leads to hardening of the arteries - on the artery walls