Quantitative Lt. Ventricular Angio. (QLVA)

LV angiography is relatively easy to do, and tells us quite a bit about the condition of the heart. By just viewing the angiography, we can qualitatively assess the size of the left ventricle and its functionality.

If we quantitatively measure left-ventricular volumes, we can calculate cardiac output and ejection fraction–an important indicators of the heart’s health and even the probability of survival of the patient.

By performing repeated QLVA, we also can assess the adequacy and effectiveness of interventions such as CABG and PTCA. This is important because, although coronary angiography can tell us about an improvement in blood supply to the heart muscle, it cannot tell us whether this improvement was accompanied by improvement in cardiac function.