New Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) Technology Reduces Risk of Recurring Heart Blockages

Patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) in Malaysia can now opt for an advanced treatment solution that yields better, more promising outcomes. The Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) technology, a diagnostic tool that is used in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) procedures, uses sound waves to generate detailed imaging of the heart blood vessels and will provide cross-sectional views of the artery. This gives doctors information on the nature of blockages or compositions within one’s heart and aiding practitioners in developing treatment plans for patients.

“This is a big step forward for cardiology in Malaysia. As doctors, we always want to offer our patients treatment solutions that give them the most promising outcome. To do so, we need to know as much information about the condition as we can. IVUS technology allows us to view a patient’s heart from the inside-out, giving us the information we need to perform the procedure and to choose the most appropriate device. I encourage more doctors to use IVUS during their PCI procedures to get the best outcome,” said Datuk Dr. Tamil Selvan Muthusamy, Consultant Cardiologist at Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur (CVSKL). Datuk Dr. Tamil Selvan has performed more than 100 IVUS-guided procedures.

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A 3-year research that involved 1,448 patients was conducted to determine the percentages of patients who had recurring blockages after undergoing a stent procedure (also known as Target Vessel Failure, TVF). The study found that only 6.6 per cent of patients who underwent IVUS guided procedures had TVF, making it significantly lower than the 10.7 per cent of patients without the IVUS procedures.

This data emphasises IVUS’s capabilities to help reduce the chances of TVF by almost half. The use of IVUS could improve the long-term results of angioplasty with stent implantation.

“IVUS is not just beneficial prior and during a heart treatment procedure. It is also an important tool to help doctors achieve better procedural results. With IVUS, doctors can get a clear look at the final stent expansions, reduce the chances of post-procedure complications thus achieving better long-term outcomes as shown innumerous studies. It helps to minimize the need for subsequent interventions. Importantly, we are able to provide higher assurance and confidence to our patients” said Datuk Dr. Rosli Mohd Ali, Consultant Cardiologist at Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur (CVSKL). To date, Datuk Dr. Rosli has performed more than 100 IVUS-guided procedures in CVSKL.

According to the Statistics Department, coronary artery disease remains the top cause of death in Malaysia, with 16,325 victims making up 15 per cent of medically certified deaths in 2019.

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