By: Aida Aziz
IPOH: Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB) has become the first hospital in Malaysia to perform invasive coronary function testing (ICFT) using the thermodilution technique to detect coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), a condition involving impaired function of the heart’s small blood vessels, as well as coronary vasomotor dysfunction.
The initiative to introduce the procedure in Malaysia was spearheaded by the HRPB Head of Cardiology nearly two years ago, following growing awareness of CMD and its impact on patients, particularly women.
“For some patients, chest pain continues to recur even though their coronary angiogram results appear normal. The HRPB Cardiology team now has another method to help identify the underlying cause.
“CMD is found in 40 to 60 per cent of patients experiencing symptoms of ischaemia, such as chest pain, despite having normal coronary angiogram results. The condition is more common among women.
“A standard coronary angiogram allows specialists to examine the larger epicardial coronary arteries, which measure approximately 2 to 4mm in diameter.
“However, the small blood vessels affected by CMD measure only about 0.1mm in diameter and cannot be visualised through a standard angiogram.
“The test uses the CoroFlow system. During this percutaneous procedure, a specialised wire equipped with pressure sensors is inserted into the coronary artery.
“Specific medications are also administered to assess the function of the epicardial coronary arteries and the heart’s small blood vessels. The test results help cardiologists determine more appropriate follow-up treatment for individual patients.
“Congratulations and thank you to Head of Cardiology Dr Nor Hanim Mohd Amin, Consultant Cardiologist Dr S Ramachandran, as well as the entire Cardiology and Pharmacy Department teams at HRPB for making this initiative a success,” HRPB said in a statement on Saturday.
For patients who are still seeking answers to their recurring chest pain, the test offers an opportunity to identify the underlying cause and ensure more precise treatment planning.
It is hoped that this initiative will help improve heart health and the quality of life of more patients in Perak.
