A pressure wire measurement, also known as fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement, is a procedure used during cardiac catheterization to determine the severity of narrowings in the coronary arteries. A special wire with a pressure sensor is used, which is guided through the catheter into the narrowed artery to measure blood pressure before and after the stenosis, allowing doctors to assess whether the narrowing significantly impairs blood flow and whether an intervention is necessary.
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A pressure wire measurement, technically known as fractional flow reserve (FFR), is a diagnostic procedure used during cardiac catheterization to determine the severity of narrowings in the coronary arteries. This procedure measures the pressure difference across a narrowing to determine if it significantly impairs blood flow to the heart muscle and requires stent implantation or other interventional measures.
In a pressure wire measurement, the cardiologist inserts a thin wire equipped with a pressure sensor through a catheter into the affected coronary artery. The sensor measures the blood pressure directly before and after the stenosis during the cardiac cycle, and the data is used to calculate the fractional flow reserve, with a value below 0.80 typically indicating a significant impairment.
The main advantage of pressure wire measurement is its ability to accurately determine whether a stenosis in the coronary artery requires treatment, which helps avoid unnecessary stent implantations. This procedure allows for targeted treatment by identifying only those stenoses that actually obstruct blood flow and are symptomatic.
The risks of pressure wire measurement are similar to those of a standard cardiac catheterization and include complications such as bleeding, blood vessel injury, or rare allergic reactions to the contrast agent. There is also a small risk that the pressure wire could damage the arterial wall.
Pressure wire measurement is considered a very reliable method for assessing the severity of a coronary stenosis. It is supported by extensive clinical studies showing that FFR measurement is an accurate method to determine which patients benefit from stent implantation and in which medical treatment may be sufficient.
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