Functional SYNTAX score

Functional SYNTAX score

SYNTAX score is calculated on a publicly available website using an online software. It can also be calculated on a downloadable software. It is used for coronary arteries with diameters more than 1.5 millimeters and having narrowing of more than fifty percent. It also takes into account the potential difficulty in performing a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

FAME (Fractional Flow Reserve versus Angiography in Multivessel Evaluation) study showed that among patients undergoing multivessel coronary stenting, measuring of coronary fractional flow reserve (FFR) with a pressure wire along with an intravenous infusion of adenosine which is potent coronary vasodilatory improved the decisions for PCI. An FFR of more than 0.80 is an accurate indicator that the given coronary lesion is not severe enough to cause ischemia. FSS is calculated using data from both these methods [1]. About one third of the patients originally thought to have high or intermediate risk were re-classified as lower risk by the FSS. The functional SYNTAX score was found to be better than SYNTAX score in predicting composite risk of death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization as well as the composite risk of death and myocardial infarction at one year.

Reference

1. Nam C-W, Mangiacapra F, Entjes R, Chung IS, Sels JW, Tonino PA, De Bruyne B, Pijls NH, Fearon WF; FAME Study Investigators. FAME Investigators. Functional SYNTAX score for risk assessment in multivessel coronary artery disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;58:1211-1218.