title: In vitro study of FFR, QCA, and IVUS for the assessment of optimal stent deployment.
abstract: We tested whether fractional flow reserve (FFR) discriminates between suboptimally and optimally deployed stents. Latex tubes (diameter solidus in circle = 4 mm) with diameter stenosis 40% (n = 3), 50% (n = 3) and 60% (n = 3) were tested in a pulsatile flow system, using water. Measurements were done at baseline (n = 9; FFR/QCA) and after suboptimal (SOD; 3-mm balloon at 8 atm) and optimal (OD; 4 mm balloon at 16 atm) deployment of a 35-mm stent (n = 6; FFR/QCA/IVUS). Varying Q from 150 to 50 ml/min increased FFR by 2-7%. Conversely, at 100 ml/min, FFR increased by only 0.8% from SOD to OD (P < 0.05). Extrapolating data to blood flow, the gain in FFR from SOD to OD is less than 5% for Q = 100 ml/min, while FFR may increase by 15-20% by changes in blood flow from 50 to 150 ml/min. We conclude that IVUS and QCA are more appropriate for the assessment of optimal stent deployment.
authors.affiliation: Institute Biomedical Technology IBITECH, Hydraulics Laboratory, Ghent University, Belgium. koen.matthys@rug.ac.be
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matthys
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carlier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Segers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ligthart
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sianos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Verdonck
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Serruys
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional