Sovah Health – Martinsville Offers New Procedure to Diagnose Heart Disease in Small Blood Vessels
June 4, 2024
The interventional cardiology team at Sovah Health – Martinsville announced that they will now be using the Conventis CoroFlow Cardiovascular System to detect whether patients presenting with recurring angina symptoms may be suffering from Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction, or CMD, an often-overlooked and difficult to diagnose disease in which the smallest vessels of the heart have abnormalities that are not detectable on a typical angiogram scan.
Angina is caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart. The diagnosis and treatment of angina has traditionally focused on blockages in the three major epicardial heart arteries, but those three vessels only serve as conduits for blood to reach the smaller vessels of the heart, the microvasculature. The smaller vessels are responsible for delivering blood to where it is actually needed – the myocardium (heart muscle). Blockages in the smaller vessels, most of which are too small to be directly visualized, is given the name “Small Vessel Disease.”
When these vessels are damaged, they can decrease blood flow to the heart and cause chest pain and increase the risk of heart attack. An angiogram (heart catheterization) shows blood flow through the epicardial heart arteries to highlight areas of narrowing in the large heart arteries potentially causing the patients symptoms.
However, unlike a typical angiogram, CoroFlow technology provides physicians with specialized calculations including coronary flow reserve (CFR) and an index of microvascular resistance (IMR) that allows for a more definitive CMD diagnosis.
“The journey from first experiencing symptoms to accurate diagnosis can be long and arduous for patients suffering from CMD,” said Dr. Sukhdeep Bhogal, interventional cardiologist at Sovah Health – Martinsville. “We now have the ability to provide this critical diagnosis and treat CMD, preventing damage and improving the quality of life for these patients.”
The CoroFlow procedure, performed in the cardiac catheterization lab, is typically performed as an outpatient procedure with patients under light sedation. The entire process takes about 30 minutes. With an accurate diagnosis of CMD, patients can typically be treated with medications and resume all normal activities.
“We are excited that Sovah Health – Martinsville is now able to provide comprehensive care for patients with recurring angina,” said Steve Heatherly, CEO at Sovah Health. “By putting the latest technology in the hands of our skilled providers, we advance our mission of making communities healthier®.”
Sovah Health is also a Duke Health affiliate in heart. This relationship gives the facility access to the most current training and staff education when it comes to heart-related health issues. Plus, Sovah Health also has access to the latest Duke guidelines. All of this adds up to an increased level of wellness, so patients now receive the higher standard of heart care they want and deserve — right in their own community.