Coronary artery flow monitoring following coronary interventions.

Coronary guidewires with ultrasound transducer tips are commercially available and are appropriately sized for use in coronary interventions. These guidewires permit monitoring of coronary flow before, during and after the interventions. The measured flow signal contains valuable information regarding the quality and the stability of the final result. After completion of the procedure, monitoring the trend in average velocity over several minutes can reveal subtle alterations in flow that may presage abrupt closure. Abnormal or unstable flow patterns also may help predict lesions that might develop recurrences in the weeks and months after successful procedures.