Intravascular ultrasound

Alternative Names: IVUS; Ultrasound - coronary artery; Endovascular ultrasound; Intravascular echocardiography

Intravascular ultrasound is a test that uses sound waves to see inside the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply the heart.

Description of Procedure

A tiny ultrasound wand is attached to the top of a tiny, hollow tube called a catheter. This ultrasound catheter is inserted into an artery in your groin area and moved up to the heart.

A computer measures how the sound waves reflect off blood vessels, and changes the sound waves into pictures. IVUS gives the health care provider a look at your coronary arteries from the inside-out.

IVUS is almost always done at the end of angioplasty with stent placement, or coronary catheterization. Angioplasty gives a general look at the coronary arteries, but it cannot show the walls of the arteries. IVUS images show the artery walls and can reveal cholesterol and fat deposits (plaques). Buildup of these deposits can increase your risk of a heart attack.

IVUS has provided a lot of insight into how stents become clogged (stent restenosis).

Risks of Intravascular ultrasound

There is a slight risk of complications with angioplasty and cardiac catheterization. However, the tests are very safe when done by an experienced team. IVUS adds no additional risk.

In general, risks may include:

• Allergic reaction to any dye used during the test, to the stent material, or to the drug used in a drug-eluting stent
• Bleeding or clotting in the area where the catheter was inserted
• Blood clot
• Clogging of the inside of the stent (in-stent restenosis)
• Complete blockage of blood flow in a certain area
• Damage to a heart valve or blood vessel
• Heart attack
• Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
• Kidney failure (a higher risk in people who already have kidney problems)
• Stroke (this is rare)

Anterior heart arteries	Coronary artery blockage	Cardiac catheterization

Review Date: 6/15/2010
Reviewed By: David Herold, MD, Radiation Oncologist in West Palm Beach, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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