Pros and cons for intravascular ultrasound in stenting.

Clair, D

Intravascular ultrasound is an invaluable tool, necessary for treating patients with venous occlusive disease. The combination of adequate preoperative imaging using duplex ultrasound and axial imaging with computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance allows preoperative identification of extravascular anatomic issues, which may lead to venous obstructive symptoms. During performance of the venous intervention, reliance upon contrast venography alone will lead to frequently missed intravascular pathology which inevitably will lead to inadequate treatment and higher overall failure rates than necessary.