Angioplasty and stents
Coronary angioplasty widens a narrowed heart artery from the inside using a small balloon, and a stent, a fine metal mesh tube, helps keep it open.
Read the guide
Procedures · Dubai
IVUS: imaging inside the heart arteries
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) uses a tiny ultrasound probe on a catheter to image a heart artery from the inside. It shows the size of the artery, the plaque in its wall and how well a stent has expanded. Dr Shady Habboush uses IVUS during angioplasty at Saudi German Hospital Dubai when it can help guide treatment.
Dr Shady HabboushConsultant Interventional Cardiology · Saudi German Hospital Dubai2 min read3 sourcesMedically reviewed against ESC and NHS guidance
01
Who it is for
- Long or complex narrowings, including the main stem (left main) artery
- Narrowings where the angiogram alone is unclear
- Checking a stent after it is placed, or investigating a stent that has narrowed again
- Choosing the stent size and length more precisely
Risks and alternatives
IVUS adds a small extra risk to the procedure, mainly a spasm or, rarely, an injury to the artery from the catheter. It is not needed for every stent. Whether imaging is used is decided case by case, and you can ask about it before the procedure.
02
What happens, step by step
- 01
IVUS is done during an angiogram or angioplasty, through the same catheter route.
- 02
A thin imaging catheter is passed along a guide wire into the artery.
- 03
The probe is pulled back slowly, recording cross-sectional images of the artery wall.
- 04
The images are used to choose the stent size and to check the result after the stent is placed.
- 05
It usually adds only a few minutes to the procedure.
03
Recovery and what to expect
You will not notice IVUS itself: recovery is the same as for the angiogram or angioplasty.
The 2024 European guidelines for chronic coronary syndromes recommend intravascular imaging, such as IVUS or OCT, to guide stenting in complex narrowings, for example the left main artery, branch points and long narrowings.
04
Questions about this
Is IVUS a separate procedure?
No. It is part of an angiogram or angioplasty and uses the same access route.
Does IVUS involve extra radiation or dye?
IVUS itself uses ultrasound, not X-ray, and does not need extra contrast dye. The procedure around it still uses X-ray.
Is IVUS used for every stent?
No. It is mainly used for complex or unclear narrowings, as the guidelines recommend. Dr Shady will tell you if it is planned.
What is the difference between IVUS and OCT?
Both image the artery from inside. IVUS uses sound waves and sees deeper into the wall; OCT uses light and gives very fine detail near the surface.
05
Related guides
Coronary angiography
A coronary angiogram is an X-ray test that shows the arteries that supply the heart.
Read the guideCoronary artery disease
Coronary artery disease is narrowing of the heart's arteries by fatty plaque.
Read the guideSources
Medical facts on this page follow the sources below.
- 2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of chronic coronary syndromes. Eur Heart J 2024
- 2023 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes. Eur Heart J 2023
- NHS: Coronary angioplasty and stent insertion
Medically reviewed against ESC and NHS guidance · Updated October 2026. General information, not medical advice.
Location and booking
Book a consultation
Appointments are made through Saudi German Hospital Dubai, Hessa Street, Al Barsha 3. Consultations in Arabic, English and German.
- Address
- Hessa Street, Al Barsha 3, Dubai
- Languages
- Arabic, English, German
Chest pain right now? Do not wait for an appointment. Call 998 or go to the nearest emergency department.