T’puram: Advances in coronary imaging and newer technologies for treating heavily calcified and completely blocked arteries are expanding treatment options for patients with complex coronary artery disease, experts said at the annual conference of Interventional Cardiology Council of Kerala (ICCK).The three-day conference which concluded on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram, brought together more than 300 cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists. ICCK president Dr Sivaprasad K inaugurated the conference.Organising secretary Dr Praveen S V said technologies such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) provide detailed information from inside coronary arteries that may not be visible through conventional angiography. They help assess calcium, plan treatment, and ensure optimal stent placement and expansion.Sessions focused on OCT-guided angioplasty, IVUS in left-main interventions and multimodality imaging. Experts also discussed newer methods to treat severely calcified arteries, including intravascular lithotripsy, atherectomy, cutting balloons and laser angioplasty.“Calcium has traditionally been one of the biggest obstacles in complex angioplasty. We now have multiple technologies to modify these hard deposits before placing a stent,” Dr Praveen said.The conference also examined advanced techniques for chronic total occlusions, including retrograde approaches and bailout strategies. Left-main coronary disease, cardiac arrest interventions and spontaneous coronary artery dissection are among other key topics.Drug-coated balloons, coronary physiology and structural heart interventions, including catheter-based valve treatments, featured in the scientific programme.
