Clinical usefulness and cost effectiveness of fractional flow reserve among Indian patients (FIND study)

Abstract

Objectives: To study the clinical usefulness, cost benefit, and medium term outcome of fractional flow reserve (FFR) based management of coronary artery disease of intermediate severity. Background: In spite of the advantages of FFR there is paucity of data in Indian population who have frequent diffuse, small and multivessel disease where it would probably be more beneficial in terms of cost and outcome. Methods: The treating cardiologist's management decision with both FFR and angiographic data was compared with that of a reviewing cardiologist decision based on a retrospective analysis of angiogram alone. Results: Eighty-one vessels with intermediate lesions in 59 patients required 26 stents lesser when FFR data was added to the angiogram. The concordance of management decision was about 58% which means that >40% of intermediate lesions would be misclassified as significant based on angiography alone. There were no major events at a mean follow up of 11 ± 5 months. The net cost benefit in favor of FFR based management was INR 8,57,600 (USD 15,600) in our centre. Conclusion: Indians with more severe form of CAD benefit from a FFR based management plan for intermediate lesions, both clinically and economically. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.