Table 3.

Current guidelines for IVUS use.

Guideline	Year	Recommendation	Class of recommendation	Level of evidence
ESC/EACTS Guideline23	2014	1.IVUS in selected patients to optimize stent implantation	II a	B
		2.IVUS to assess severity and optimize treatment of unprotected left main lesions	II a	B
		3.IVUS to assess mechanisms of stent failure (restenosis and stent thrombosis)	II a	C
ACCF/AHA/SCAI Guideline24	2011	1.IVUS is reasonable for the assessment of angiographically indeterminate left main coronary artery disease	II a	B
		2.IVUS and coronary angiography are reasonable 4–6 wk and 1 y after cardiac transplantation to exclude donor coronary artery disease, detect rapidly progressive cardiac allograft vasculopathy and provide prognostic information	II a	B
		3.IVUS is reasonable to determine the mechanism of stent restenosis	II a	C
		4.IVUS may be reasonable for the assessment of nonleft main coronary arteries with angiographically intermediate coronary stenoses (50%–70% diameter stenosis)	II b	B
		5.IVUS may be considered for guidance of coronary stent implantation, particularly in cases of left main coronary artery stenting	II b	B
		6.IVUS may be reasonable to determine the mechanism of stent thrombosis	II b	C
		7.IVUS for routine lesion assessment is not recommended when revascularization with PCI or CABG is not being contemplated	III	C

ACCF, American College of Cardiology Foundation; AHA, American Heart Association; CABG, coronary artery bypass graft; ESC, European Society of Cardiology; EACTS, European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery; IVUS, intravascular ultrasound; SCAI, Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.