Fractional Flow Reserve Method in Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory without Cardiosurgical Backup: Initial Experiences

Background: Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of death in a modern world. This dictates the development a network of Catheterization laboratories without cardiosurgical capabilities.Aim: We postulate that the most valuable tool in the decision process on myocardial revascularization is fractional flow reserve (FFR), especially when we deal with borderline coronary lesions.Material and Methods: A total of 72 patients with 94 intermediate coronary stenosis (30%-70% diameter reduction) were included in this study. We tested FFR and angiography based decision model on myocardial revascularization.Results: Â Mean FFR value on left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was lower than in others two arteries (p=0.017). FFR after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was significantly better (p