An Outline on Interventional Cardiology

Interventional Cardiology represents advanced treatment in cardiovascular disease and focuses on the catheter-based management of cardiovascular and heart diseases.

Interventional cardiology procedures are implemented in problems occurred by deposits of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and fibrous tissue that can narrow and block arteries, preventing proper blood flow to and from the heart.

Conditions Treated Using Interventional Procedures

·      Atherosclerosis

·      Atrial fibrillation/flutter

·      Aortic Stenosis

·      Arrhythmias

·      Bradycardia

·      Cardiomyopathy

·      Angina pectoris

·      Congenital heart disease

·      Coronary heart disease

·      Peripheral Arterial Disease

·      Heart Valve Disease

Procedures of Interventional Cardiology:

·      Angioplasty

·      Percutaneous coronary intervention (Coronary angioplasty)

·      Valvuloplasty

·      Congenital heart defect correction

·      Percutaneous valve replacement

·      Percutaneous valve repair

·      Coronary thrombectomy

Angioplasty is an invasive method to dilate clogged arteries or veins.

Coronary angioplasty involves use of angioplasty for the treatment of blockage of coronary arteries as a result of coronary artery disease.

Valvuloplasty is the dilation of narrowed cardiac valves such as mitral, aortic, or pulmonary.

Congenital heart defect correction approaches can be employed to correct atrial septal and ventricular septal defects, closure of a patent ductus arteriosus, and angioplasty of the great vessels.

Percutaneous valve replacement is the replacement of a percutaneous aortic valve using percutaneous methods.

Percutaneous valve repair is an alternative to open heart surgery; percutaneous valve repair is performed on the mitral valve using the MONARC system.

Coronary thrombectomy involves the removal of a thrombus from the coronary arteries using invasive procedures.

Advantages of interventional cardiology procedures:

·      Less invasive than traditional surgery

·      Avoidance of scars and pain

·      Recovery time often is shorter

·      Symptoms like breathlessness and chest pain are usually relieved quickly and effectively

·      Preventing heart damage by retaining arteries

·      Less prone for infections

·      There is tiny or no incision.

Major Risk factors associated with Interventional Procedures

·      Heart attack

·      Stroke

·      Coronary artery damage

·      Kidney damage

·      Heart rhythm problems

Complications occurred by Interventional Procedures:

·      Bleeding at the catheter inserted sites

·      Blood clots

·      Restenosis