Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR)
What is fractional flow reserve?
Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is a minimally invasive procedure to figure out how bad the narrowing (stenosis) is in your coronary arteries. Your healthcare provider does this by checking the blood pressure and flow in your coronary arteries. Your provider compares the highest possible blood flow you can have with and without a blockage.
Providers do the fractional flow reserve test as part of a cardiac catheterization of your heart’s left side or during a coronary angiogram. The results help them decide which treatment you need.
When would fractional flow reserve be needed?
You may need this test when your healthcare provider is deciding whether you need angioplasty and a stent in one of your coronary arteries. They carry blood containing oxygen to your heart muscle.
Providers use this cost-effective, simple test when imaging shows you have 50% to 70% diameter narrowing (stenosis). In some cases, providers may check fractional flow reserve in people with up to 90% narrowing.
You shouldn’t need this test if your narrowing is lower than 30% or higher than 70%. This is because it’s already clear that you don’t need angioplasty if have minimal stenosis, but you do if your number is high.
After you’ve had angioplasty and a stent put into your coronary artery, fractional flow reserve can help predict whether you’ll have a major heart issue.
What are the drawbacks of a fractional flow reserve assessment?
Your provider can get a false normal result if your coronary arterioles — your smallest arteries — don’t respond to the drug that increases blood flow during the fractional flow reserve procedure. The length of the narrow area affects your FFR as well.
