Giulio Guagliumi, MD, is with the Cardiovascular Department, Division of Cardiology, Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Italy.
Imaging is more accurate, helps guide decisions and facilitates tailored therapy, especially in younger heart attack patients who more frequently have plaque erosion or non-atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.In Expert consensus published on use of imaging to guide heart attack treatment
OCT technology has become increasingly important to help diagnose and treat patients with coronary artery disease. The ILUMIEN OPTIS system is a significant advancement in intravascular imaging technology allowing physicians to comprehensively assess more vessel in less time and more easily plan their PCI procedure. The three-dimensional format of the ILUMIEN OPTIS system provides a more true-to-life perspective of the arteries, which allows for individual decision making and precise guidance of stent placement to optimize coronary interventions.In St. Jude Medical Announces European Approval of 3-D Vessel Reconstruction Technology to Aid Physicians in Stent Placement
We are doing a high number of off-label-indication cases, patients and lesions are becoming more and more complex, with more calcification and much less guarantee that in 20 seconds with one balloon, you can have good apposition of the stent and a good job done. And in this case, we need to increase the level of accuracy at the time of implanting and at follow-up: OCT is a new possibility to obtain the best placement. This could be very important in the future.In OCT imaging suggests low rates of uncovered/malapposed struts following DES for AMI
