Invasive Coronary Physiology After Stent Implantation

Intracoronary physiology is routinely used in setting the indication for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) but seldom in assessing procedural results. This attitude is increasingly challenged by accumulated evidence demonstrating the value of post-PCI functional assessment in predicting long-term patient outcomes. Besides fractional flow reserve, a number of new indexes recently incorporated to clinical practice, including nonhyperemic pressure and functional angiographic indexes, provide new opportunities for the physiological assessment of PCI results. Largely, the benefit of these tools is derived from longitudinal analysis of the treated vessel, which allows precise identification of the vessel segment accounting for a suboptimal functional result and enabling operators to perform accurate PCI optimization. In this document the authors review available evidence supporting why physiological assessment should be extended to immediate post-PCI with the aim of improving patient outcomes. A step-by-step guide on how available physiological tools can be used for such purpose is provided. (J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2021;14:237?46) ? 2021 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.

Automated summary

Intracoronary physiology plays a crucial role in predicting long-term patient outcomes and is increasingly being used to assess post-PCI functional results. New indexes such as nonhyperemic pressure and functional angiographic indexes provide opportunities for physiological assessment of PCI results.