What is interventional cardiology?
Interventional cardiology is a specialized field of heart care that uses minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat heart and vascular conditions. Unlike traditional heart surgeries that require large incisions in your chest, interventional procedures can be performed through small incisions in your groin or wrist using a small tube called a catheter.
Interventional cardiologists work in specialized examination rooms known as cardiac catheterization (cath) labs.
What conditions does interventional cardiology treat?
- Aneurysm
- Atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the coronary arteries)
- Carotid artery disease
- Chronic venous disease
- Congenital heart diseases, such as atrial and ventricular septal defects
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Heart attack
- Heart valve diseases, such as aortic stenosis and mitral valve regurgitation
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Pulmonary hypertension
Cardiac catheterization to diagnose a heart condition
Catheter-based procedures can give your interventional cardiologist a more accurate picture of your heart health to determine which condition you have. During cardiac catheterization, a catheter is inserted into the body through the groin or the wrist. Your interventional cardiologist guides the catheter to your heart or a blood vessel to identify any problems, such as artery blockages or valve defects, and treat them effectively.
Procedures that might be performed during a cardiac catheterization include:
- Angiogram, which uses dyes to reveal blockages or narrowing in your heart’s arteries
- Angioplasty and stenting to open narrowed or blocked arteries
- Biopsies (samples) of heart tissue
- Checking for problems with your heart’s valves, chambers and major arteries
- Measuring pressure and oxygen levels in your heart
- Seeing how well your heart pumps
Treating heart conditions with interventional cardiology
Benefits of interventional cardiology
Interventional cardiology procedures offer an alternative to traditional, open-heart surgery, which requires a surgeon to make a large incision in the chest and open the rib cage to operate on the heart. These procedures use only tiny incisions to insert a catheter into the body, requiring shorter recovery times and hospital stays and often having a lower risk of complications.
What to expect
You’ll receive instructions from your cardiologist’s office before having an interventional cardiology procedure. Before the procedure, you will likely need to have testing, including blood tests and imaging scans.
You’ll also receive instructions about whether to continue taking your medications and when to begin fasting before the procedure. Talk with your care team about any questions and what you need to know before the procedure.
Depending on the condition treated and recovery progress, you could be discharged home within a day after certain interventional cardiology procedure.
When you’re discharged, you’ll receive a set of at-home care instructions. These instructions will include guidance about signs of complications you should watch for and when it’s safe to resume normal activities. Carefully follow these instructions to ensure you heal quickly and completely.
Find a location near you
You can find our interventional cardiology services at our locations across North and Central Texas. Our interventional cardiologists work in well-equipped cardiac cath labs and hybrid labs that combine cardiac catheterization procedures and heart surgery. We’ll help you find a clinic that matches your needs.
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