Clinical Application of Fractional Flow Reserve-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Stable Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

Revascularization in stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) is indicated in patients on optimal medical therapy with angina and/or demonstrable ischemia and a significant stenosis in one or more epicardial coronary arteries. Angiography alone, however, cannot accurately determine the hemodynamic significance of coronary lesions, particularly those of intermediate stenosis severity. A lesion may appear significant on coronary angiogram but may not have functional significance. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of functionally insignificant coronary artery lesions may have serious consequences; therefore, judicious decision-making in the cardiac catheterization laboratory is indicated. For this reason, it is becoming increasingly important to show that a stenosis is capable to induce myocardial ischemia prior to intervention. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) has emerged as a useful tool for this purpose. In this review, we will briefly discuss the principle of FFR, current evidence and rationale supporting its use, and comparison with other modalities.

Keywords: Coronary artery disease; FFR; Percutaneous coronary intervention; Stable ischemic heart disease.