MADURAI
In what the hospital claims to be a first-of-its-kind set up in India, the Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre (MMHRC) has recently installed an advanced Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) system for cardiac imaging that is fully integrated with the hospital’s catheterisation lab (Cath lab).
Speaking to the media about the advanced diagnostic capabilities the system can provide for a number of heart diseases, R. Sivakumar, senior consultant, MMHRC, said that the OCT uses infrared light to provide three dimensional colour images of the insides of blood vessels.
“This is far better than the coronary angiography, which provides only two-dimensional images. With the OCT, we can clearly see the calcium, fat and blood clots inside the vessels, which will, in turn, help in precise treatment,” he said.
He added that due to the accuracy in the diagnosis and the treatment, the possibility of recurrence of the disease gets considerably reduced. “Some studies have shown that it reduces from 14 % (angiogram) to 4 % (OCT),” he added.
M. Sampath Kumar, senior consultant, MMHRC, said that the technology would help in accurately deciding whether a patient needed a bypass surgery or angioplasty with stents. “Presently, in many cases we refer the patients for a bypass surgery due to lack of precise information on the blocks in coronary arteries. This can be avoided with the OCT,” he said.
N. Ganesan, senior consultant, MMHRC, said that the technology can even help in avoiding angioplasty for patients who do not need them compulsorily.
“Today, we go for angioplasty if the blocks in the coronary artery are severe. With better imaging, we can accurately decide whether the patient really needs it or not,” he said.
S. Selvamani, senior consultant, MMHRC, said that the technology also allowed to study the patients, who had undergone angioplasty in the past. “For instance, we studied a patient for whom an absorbable stent was fixed five years ago. We could clearly see that the stent has fully dissolved. This was not possible earlier,” he added.
P Jeyapandian, Consultant, Cardiologist & Electrophysiologist, MMHRC, Madurai, was present at the meeting.
