University Hospital in Lviv has introduced FFR (Fractional Flow Reserve) testing — a fractional blood flow reserve assessment that is regarded as the global standard in interventional cardiology. The first patient to undergo this procedure was 48-year-old Volodymyr Khotynchuk, editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Visnyk” from Lutsk.
The man said that he had suffered a heart attack in March, after which two stents were implanted in Lutsk. Despite this, his condition did not improve, and doctors began to consider the possibility of additional stenting. To clarify the condition of his coronary arteries, he was referred to University Hospital, which has the necessary equipment to perform FFR testing.
FFR is a highly accurate method of measuring pressure inside the coronary arteries. During the procedure, a special ultra-thin sensor is inserted into the vessel, which shows how much an arterial narrowing or an already implanted stent is obstructing blood flow to the heart.
The method makes it possible to determine with high precision whether the patient really needs stenting, or whether the vessel narrowing is safe and medication alone is sufficient. FFR also allows doctors to check the effectiveness of stents that have already been implanted. The procedure itself takes about 10 minutes, but it can significantly change the subsequent treatment strategy.
The Heart and Vascular Clinic emphasises that FFR is not just a new technology, but a standard of modern medicine that is now used on a daily basis.
“This is not just an innovation, it is a global medical standard that we have finally made part of our daily practice. Thanks to FFR, we know exactly whether it is worth burdening the patient’s body with new stents. As of today, we are the only ones in Lviv to provide this service on a regular basis,” says Dmytro Besh, head of the Heart and Vascular Clinic