Fractional flow reserve is a novel technique used in cardiac catheterization to measure differences in blood pressure across coronary artery stenosis (blockage). Fractional flow reserve is a typical approach for angioplasty that is used to assess the quantity of oxygen given to the heart as a result of a blockage. It is defined as the pressure after a blockage in comparison to the pressure before the blockage.
During cardiac catheterization, a physician inserts a specially engineered catheter known as a stent into an artery, deflating it with a balloon catheter and inserting the catheter tip within the hardened artery. By doing so, the balloon distributes pressure over the stiffened vessel wall, allowing the amount of pressure fluctuation between neighbouring walls to be measured. The tip of the guidewire has a sensor that detects blood flow, temperature, and pressure to determine the severity of the obstruction.
The images generated by the fractional flow reserve are electronically transmitted to a diagnostic imaging computer, which then transmits them to a back office. The scans typically provide data indicating the percentage of pressure variation present in the ventricle, left ventricle, or coronary arteries. These results can then be compared to the fractional flow reserve pictures to validate the diagnosis of ventricular fibrillation or coronary artery stenosis. Because the pictures produced by fractional flow reserve are less clear and more prone to inaccuracy than those produced by coronary artery catheterization, many clinicians prefer the second way of assessment.
However, the fractional flow reserve has been found to be an effective and reliable method for many patients who have had their heart monitored. According to the Robert Koch Institute, a German federal government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Germany, causing a total of around 40% of all deaths.
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