Flexible Guidewire Improves FFR Measurement

A new guidewire adapts to unique, complex anatomies and improves measurement of fractional flow reserve (FFR) pressure differences across narrowed coronary arteries.

The St. Jude Medical (SJM, St. Paul, MN, USA) PressureWire X Guidewire measurement system supports more accurate lesion assessment during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) by providing physicians with a tip that can be shaped and re-shaped during the procedure, which enables it to be used to assess multiple lesions, even in patients with complex anatomy. The guidewire also provides enhanced durability and improved handling, in either a cabled or wireless configuration.

“St. Jude Medical strives to provide physicians with fractional flow reserve pressure guidewire options that are backed by clinical data and match the handling performance of conventional workhorse PCI guidewires,” said Mark Carlson, MD, chief medical officer and vice president of global medical affairs at SJM. “The new PressureWire X guidewire shows our dedication to providing physicians with cost-effective, easy-to-use technologies that aid them in making the best treatment decisions for their patients.”

“Fractional flow reserve has become an indispensable tool for assessing coronary lesions and making informed treatment decisions during percutaneous coronary intervention,” said Bernard De Bruyne, MD, of CVC Aalst (Belgium). “The improved design of the new PressureWire X guidewire tip will simplify the fractional flow reserve procedure by enabling access to lesions in patients with tortuous, complex anatomy.”

FFR is a physiological index used to determine the hemodynamic severity of atherosclerotic narrowing of the coronary arteries. It specifically identifies which coronary narrowing is responsible for the ischemic obstruction of the flow of blood to a patient’s heart muscle, and helps guide the interventional cardiologist in determining which lesions warrant stenting, resulting in improved patient outcomes and reduced health care costs.

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