Intravascular ultrasound

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Anterior heart arteries

Cardiac catheterization

Coronary artery blockage

IVUS; Ultrasound - coronary artery; Endovascular ultrasound

Ultrasound uses sound waves to create moving images of organs and systems within the body. IVUS is a combination of a heart ultrasound (echocardiogram) and cardiac cathertization .

A tiny ultrasound wand is attached to the top of a tiny, hollow tube called a catheter. During the IVUS procedure, the ultrasound catheter is inserted into an artery in your groin area and moved up to the heart. This gives the health care provider a look at your arteries from the inside-out.

IVUS is often done during angioplasty. Angioplasty gives a general look at the coronary arteries, but can not show the walls of the arteries. IVUS images highlight the artery walls and can show if there are cholesterol and fat deposits (plaques). Build up of such plaque leads to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

IVUS has provided a great amount of insight into how stents become clogged (stent restenosis). The method has helped show that about 20% of cases of stent restenosis occur when the stent has not expanded properly.

IVUS may be used to:

• View the aorta and structure of the artery walls (which can show plaque build up)
• Identify which specific blood vessel is involved in aortic dissection
• Determine where a stent should be placed
• Discover how well angioplasty and stenting worked

Review Date: 08/15/2006
Reviewed By: Augusto Pichard, M.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.