Abstract

Practice of intravascular imaging in percutaneous coronary interventions with ultra-low or zero contrast

Author(s): Georgios Koutsopoulos, Christos Fragoulis, Konstantinos Tsioufis

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) offered an advance in the management of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). The use of contrast media agents was essential in this procedure. However, the usage of these agents can pose a serious risk of nephrotoxicity and Contrast-Induced Nephropathy (CIN) in specific high-risk groups of patients. The utilization of Ultra-Low Contrast PCI (ULPCI) procedures offers a tempting solution to this problem. This article provides a brief presentation of these techniques while discussing their need, their clinical usage and the important role of intravascular imaging modalities, especially Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS), that facilitate their implementation.