Technology Transforming Cardiac Care for the Better
                     ABOUT DOCTOR
Interventional 
Cardiologist
Apollo Hospitals, 
Indore
Dr. Sarita Rao is a Sr. Interventional Cardiologist at 
Apollo  Hospitals, Indore. She is the first female 
Interventional  Cardiologist in Central India. She is 
Fellow of American  College of Cardiology(FACC) 
and Fellow of European  Society of 
Cardiology(FESC)
For OPD Appointments Contact : +91 9893925000
OPD Timing at Apollo Hospitals, Indore: 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location: Apollo Hospitals, Indore Sector D Rd, Scheme No 74C, Vijay 
Nagar, Indore.
OPD Timing at Clinic: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: 303, Third Floor, Vishal Astra, Opp. Satya Sai School, A.B Road, 
Indore, MP.
Technology Transforming Cardiac Care for the Better
Technological innovations have created a revolution in the  health care  sector and changed 
the way how diseases are viewed and managed across the world. Cardiovascular medicine is 
undergo- ing radical changes day by day as a result of the vast amount of informa- tion and 
resources being channeled into the field across the globe. The global health care has been 
miniatur- ized as a result of these innovations. Since the late 1990s, imaging in car- 
diovascular field has evolved from routine coronary angiography to computerized 
tomography [CT scan]. cardiac magnetic resonance (MRI), electron-beam computerized 
tomog- raphy [EBCT], and advanced echocar diography. Intravascular coronary imaging 
techniques like IVUS (intra vascular ultrasound) & OCT (optical coherence tomography) has 
created a revolution in the field of coronary angiography and angioplasty.
New and improved surgical inter- vention techniques are helping save lives and hastening 
recovery among cardiac patients many of whom may not have survived the pandemic with- 
out these. Technological advance- ments have made cardiac care far more effective and 
accessible to a lot more than it was a decade ago. OCT has improved the chances of recovery 
for patients with intense coronary blockages, points out Dr. Sarita Rao, Consultant 
Cardiologist, Apollo Hospital Indore. 
Apollo launches OCT machine, the first coronary-imaging device of its kind in Indore
What is OCT?
Optical coherence tomography 
(OCT) is a type of advanced 
medical imaging that uses light 
waves to take near-
photographic quality cross-sec- 
tion pictures of living tissue. 
With OCT, doctors can obtain 
images of the blood vessels 
that are about the same as if 
they were looking under a 
micro- scope. The test, which 
received regu- stents latory 
approval for cardiac use in 
India in the last decade, is 
usually performed as part of an 
angiogram.
In interventional cardiology, OCT imaging is used to take detailed images of blood vessel 
walls. These pictures are used to help determine the extent and burden of atherosclerotic 
plaques (build-up of cholesterol and other material) in a patient's arteries. These plaques can 
build up and cause chest pain called angina. This detailed understanding can help an 
interven- tional cardiologists determine wheth- er a stent is needed to treat the block age 
and where to best place a stent so as to treat the blockage. After a stent has been placed, 
OCT can also be used to see how well the stent is covering the plaque and make certain it is 
expanded to the correct size for your vessel
How Does OCT Work?
Most of us already familiar with ultrasound, which uses sound waves to create images of 
internal structures in the body. OCT works similarly to ultra sound but uses infrared light 
case of OCT for cardiovascular proce- dures, an optical beam is directed at the tissue to be 
imaged and a small portion of this light that reflects from applications can be as below: sub-
surface features is collected. These In-stent Restenosis signals are transmitted to a computer 
program that converts them to images Thrombosis of the blood vessel wall.
How does OCT benefit patients? 
• OCT provides detailed 
images of superficial 
coronary plaque compo- 
nents. As per the histological 
analy. sis of autopsy 
specimens, there are 
Intervention 3 general 
plaque types: Fibrous, Fibro-
calcific and Lipid Rich. All 
these plaque types can be 
accurate- ly identified by 
OCT. The high reso- lution of 
OCT identifies plaque 
characteristics that 
predispose to rupture, 
including the thin fibrous 
caps, large lipid cores, and 
accumu- lation of 
macrophages.
• OCT can provide critical informa- tion to guide coronary interven- tions, in addition to 
characterizing atherosclerotic plaques
• OCT can be utilized to measure the reference vessel diameter, minimal luminal diameter, 
and length of the target lesion
• OCT can be used to identify stent malapposition, tissue prolapse and both in-stent and 
edge dissection with higher sensitivity than IVUS. 
• It is of specific benefit in assessing stent apposition with overlapping stents
• It is utilized as a research tool to study coronary artery pathophysi- ology as well as 
response to endo- vascular interventions. In addition, it is also used to compare various 
stent platforms in terms of deploy. ment, endotheliziation and in-stent restenosis
What are the applications of OCT?
The application of OCT in daily clinical practice can help in improv ing the outcomes for the 
patients and provide an Optimal Percutaneous cor onary Intervention. OCT can help guide 
physicians on specific clinical situations and can help optimize physician treatment 
strategies. 
Some of the day to day practical applications can we as below:-
• In stent Restenosis
• Assessment of Calcified Lesions
• Thrombosis
• Stent Deployment and Malapposition
• Stent Deployment and Edge Dissection
• Bifurcation Lesion Assessment and Percutaneous Coronary Interventional
Is OCT Safe?
OCT has been used in the coronary space for more than 20 years now and is widely 
considered to provide mini mal risk to patients. Complications are rare (occurring in less than 
1% of patients), but include arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), hypotension (low blood 
pressure), or blockage, dis section, or spasm of the artery. The test on its own does not use x-
ray technology and therefore does not present radiation risks.
"The addition of OCT to our imag ing devices offers a more comprehen sive array of imaging 
tools, enabling practitioners to see and treat cardiac pathology earlier and more effectively 
OCT-guided procedures offer better procedural and in-hospital outcomes, and better long-
term survival com pared to standard angiography-guided interventional procedures. 
Increased adoption of OCT imaging, when com bined with advanced technology like AI, 
allows cardiologists to have a more precise and measurable way of sup porting patients 
undergoing coronary stent procedures. It can potentially improve physician and patient 
experi ence by utilizing a systematic process, reducing variability and increasing accuracy of 
diagnosis and application of therapies," adds Dr. Sarita.
If you are looking for Best Cardiologist in Madhya Pradesh for heart surgery, Dr. Sarita Rao is a 
Top Cardiologist in MP  and offers her services at Apollo Hospitals Indore. 
Book your appointment immediately call us on +91 9893925000 or visit our website - 
https://drsaritaraocardiologist.com/
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