FFR Test in Hyderabad — Fractional Flow Reserve at AIG Hospitals, Gachibowli
If your cardiologist has found a borderline coronary artery blockage on your angiogram — not clearly severe, not clearly mild — the FFR test is the most accurate way to decide whether that blockage needs a stent or whether medication alone is sufficient. Dr. Bhishma Chowdary performs FFR (Fractional Flow Reserve) testing at AIG Hospitals, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, as a routine part of coronary assessment for patients across Gachibowli, Hitech City, Manikonda, Kondapur, Madhapur, and the wider Hyderabad region.
At a glance
| What it is | A pressure wire measurement performed during coronary angiography to assess if a blockage is restricting blood flow. |
| Also known as | Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR), Coronary Physiology Assessment, Pressure Wire Study. |
| Related tests | RFR (Resting Full-cycle Ratio), iFR (Instantaneous wave-Free Ratio) — non-adenosine alternatives. |
| Done during | Coronary angiogram — in the same cath lab sitting, no extra procedure needed. |
| Duration | 5 to 10 minutes additional time during angiogram. |
| Result | A single number between 0 and 1 — instantly guides the treatment decision. |
| Available at | AIG Hospitals, Gachibowli, Hyderabad — serving Hitech City, Manikonda, Kondapur, Madhapur, and Nanakramguda. |
| Performed by | Dr. Bhishma Chowdary, DM Cardiology, Interventional Cardiologist. |
| Appointment | +91-9000352998 |
What is an FFR test and why does it matter?
Coronary angiography — the standard heart artery X-ray — shows what a blockage looks like from the outside. It can tell your cardiologist that an artery is narrowed by 50%, 60%, or 70%. But here is the critical problem: the appearance of a blockage on angiography does not reliably predict whether that blockage is actually restricting blood flow enough to cause symptoms or damage. Multiple large studies have shown that visual assessment of intermediate lesions on angiography is wrong approximately 40% of the time.
FFR solves this. A pressure-sensing guidewire is advanced past the blockage into the artery beyond it. The ratio of blood pressure beyond the blockage to blood pressure in the aorta — measured under conditions of maximum blood flow — gives the FFR value. This number directly reflects whether the blockage is haemodynamically significant: whether it is genuinely starving the heart muscle of blood, or whether it is a visible narrowing that is causing no meaningful physiological impairment.
The key insight
A stent placed in a blockage that is not truly restricting blood flow does not benefit the patient — but it does expose them to the risks of stenting (antiplatelet therapy for 12 months, rare stent thrombosis, restenosis). FFR allows Dr. Bhishma Chowdary to stent only the blockages that genuinely need it, and safely manage the rest with medication alone.
At a glance
| FFR = 1.0 | Normal — no restriction to blood flow whatsoever. The blockage seen on angiography is not causing any physiological impairment. Medication and risk factor management are all that is needed. |
| FFR 0.81 – 0.99 | Borderline — mildly reduced flow. Generally managed medically. The decision depends on symptoms, other findings, and the individual clinical context. |
| FFR ≤ 0.80 | Haemodynamically significant — the blockage is genuinely restricting blood flow to the heart muscle. This validated threshold indicates that stenting the lesion is expected to improve symptoms and outcomes. The FAME and FAME-2 trials confirmed this cut-off. |
| FFR < 0.75 | Clearly significant ischaemia. Angioplasty and stenting are strongly indicated. There is a significant risk of cardiac events if left untreated. |
| FFR < 0.60 – 0.65 | Very severe — associated with large areas of ischaemia. Urgent revascularisation is recommended. Often seen in proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery lesions. |