Interventional Cardiology

An interventional cardiologist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases through minimally invasive methods. Your cardiologist will use medical tools small enough to move through a blood vessel in your wrist or upper thigh. This procedure is known as cardiac heart catheterization. Our team performs a number of these procedures to help diagnose and treat heart conditions. 

What Happens During Heart Catheterization?

In a special room called a cardiac catheterization lab, a doctor slides a thin, flexible tube called a catheter and other tiny medical tools into an artery. Using a special X-ray machine to see inside your blood vessels, the doctor threads the catheter up to your heart. Then, the cardiologist looks for or treats heart problems.

Usually, the doctor inserts the catheter into an artery in your upper thigh. But if possible, the cardiologist will go through a wrist artery. This approach, called radial access, speeds your recovery.

Diagnostic Procedures

Accurate diagnosis of a heart condition is vital to build a personalized treatment plan that will work best for you. Our board-certified interventional cardiologists are experienced in the diagnosis of cardiovascular conditions using the following procedures:

Coronary Angiogram

During a coronary angiogram, a cardiologist injects contrast dye through the catheter and into your blood vessels. The dye appears on the X-ray machine as it flows through your heart arteries. Your doctor uses this test to find clogged spots in an artery and see how severe they are.

Heart Catheterization

A catheter is inserted into the right or left side of the heart to measure the pressure and blood flow in your heart.

Interventional Catheterization

Some catheterization procedures can treat cardiovascular conditions. Our interventional cardiologist help treat heart conditions using the following techniques:

Coronary Angioplasty

Angioplasty, also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), opens a heart artery clogged by plaque (fat). Your cardiologist attaches a tiny balloon to the catheter and threads it up to the blockage. Then, the balloon inflates and pushes the plaque against the artery wall. The doctor also places a tiny stent (metal-mesh tube) in the artery to keep the blood vessel open.

This treatment lets blood flow freely again to your heart and can stop a heart attack or chest pain (angina).

Stent Placement

A stent may be placed in an artery to keep it open. This allows blood to flow freely. 

Atherectomy

This procedure helps clear built-up plaque inside the artery. A catheter is maneuvered into the affected artery. The catheter includes a tool that can cut, dissolve or shave the plaque. The plaque is then removed from the artery. 

Thrombectomy

 This procedure allows your cardiologist to remove a blood clot from an affected blood vessel. Your doctor will locate the blood clot with imagine methods like ultrasound and x-ray. Once located, the clot is removed using a catheter.

Venous Ablations

This procedure treats varicose veins. A catheter is inserted into the vein and the vein is closed using heat or a chemical solution. This procedure allows the vein to shrink and symptoms to be relieved. 

Venous and Peripheral Arterial Angioplasty

This procedure is used to treat peripheral artery disease as well as vein blockages.