Coronary physiology and intravascular imaging in surgical and percutaneous revascularization.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Coronary angiography remains the principal imaging modality guiding coronary revascularization, but it provides only an anatomic representation of disease and does not reliably identify lesion-specific ischemia. This review summarizes contemporary evidence on coronary physiology and intravascular imaging in percutaneous and surgical revascularization.

Recent findings: Physiology-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improves clinical outcomes by refining lesion selection and supporting safe deferral of nonflow-limiting stenoses. Fractional flow reserve and instantaneous wave-free ratio are supported by long-term randomized data, while angiography-derived quantitative flow ratio has shown favorable outcomes compared with angiography-guided PCI, although equivalence to pressure-wire-based strategies remains unsettled. In parallel, intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography enhance procedural optimization by improving stent sizing, expansion, and detection of mechanical complications, with the strongest benefit observed in anatomically complex lesions. Postprocedural physiologic testing frequently reveals residual ischemia despite acceptable angiographic results. In coronary bypass surgery, physiologic assessment may refine target selection and clarify mechanisms of competitive flow, and postoperative quantitative flow ratio has been explored in assessing functional completeness; however, consistent improvement in clinical outcomes has not been demonstrated.

Summary: Current evidence strongly supports integration of coronary physiology and intravascular imaging in PCI, whereas their role in coronary artery bypass grafting remains investigational.