Intravascular Ultrasound
Inova cardiologists perform intravascular ultrasounds (IVUs) during cardiac catheterization. Like echocardiograms, IVUs use high-frequency sound waves (also called ultrasound) to produce an image of the coronary arteries.
Sound waves are sent with a transducer device attached to the end of a catheter that has been threaded through an artery and into your heart. The sound waves bounce off of the walls of the artery and return to the transducer as echoes. The echoes are converted into images on a television monitor to produce a clear picture of the coronary arteries and any potential blockages.
IVUs help the cardiologist select the best treatment options or evaluate a treatment's success with more certainty than angiography or X-rays.