We have been hearing a lot about the rapid advancements and changes in the field of medical technology ranging from patient registration to data assessment and diagnostic methods to surgical procedures. Yet, some diseases continue to remain as a dreadful term for us; heart disease is a case in point. Coronary Heart Disease (CAD) also known as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease that kills more people than any other disease across the world. The main cause of CAD is atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries). Build-up of calcium and cholesterol on the walls of coronary arteries cut down the blood supply to the heart muscles, thereby leading into cardiac ischemia or myocardial infarction (heart attack) among CAD patients.
Severe chest pain or discomfort, also termed as angina pectoris is one of the major coronary heart disease symptoms. The pain can be localised to shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back. Though, in some cases people also experience nausea, shortness of breath and dizziness. The sensation of discomfort experienced during myocardial ischemia or myocardial infarction develops as a result of coronary artery stenosis. As the degree of coronary artery stenosis increases, myocardial blood flow is reduced resulting in severe chest pain.
Surgical intervention or medical therapy is the preferred treatment approach to tackle coronary artery stenosis. However, interventional cardiologists find it challenging to deal with coronary bifurcation lesions (a lesion in the parent coronary artery very close or involving a significant side branch) that increases the procedural complexity. An optimal surgical or medical approach for managing coronary artery bifurcation lesions is still on debate as it involves restoring lumen of both the vessels. Time is the main factor in managing angina; hence it is essential to make a quick and safe decision based on the results.
