Many heart conditions can be effectively diagnosed and treated with a specialized field of cardiology known as interventional cardiology. This advanced field, available at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, uses minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures to address heart issues and improve the quality of life for patients in the Mid-South.
Instead of large incisions and open-heart surgery, interventional cardiologists use thin tubes called catheters to access the heart. These catheters are inserted through a blood vessel, typically in the groin or wrist. Using real-time imaging, the interventional cardiologist navigates the catheter to the problem area in the heart or nearby blood vessels. This allows for precise diagnosis and treatment without major surgery.
Depending on the procedure, various instruments can be attached to the catheter tip. Once in place, the cardiologist can perform a diagnostic test or even a surgical intervention for the specific heart condition.
Interventional cardiologists primarily treat conditions affecting blood vessels in the body, including the coronary arteries (which supply the heart), the carotid arteries (which supply the head and neck) and the peripheral arteries (which supply the lower body). They also offer treatment of heart defects and damage that can be easily accessed through the blood vessels, including defects of the valves and heart chambers.
Take a Heart Health Risk Assessment to learn if you should see a Methodist Le Bonheur cardiologist.
At Methodist Le Bonheur, we offer a comprehensive range of cardiovascular services. Our multidisciplinary cardiologists, each with their own area of expertise, diagnose, treat and manage all types of heart disease, providing you with the highest level of care and reassurance.
Our team features specialists in multiple fields of cardiovascular medicine. We work collaboratively to provide comprehensive care for our patients. Those who need interventional cardiology procedures to diagnose or treat a heart condition can receive advanced care through interventional cardiologists with specialty training in these minimally invasive procedures.
Interventional cardiology procedures at Methodist Le Bonheur take place in one of our advanced cardiac catheterization labs. These labs feature state-of-the-art imaging technology and dedicated, 24-hour staff availability. This advanced technology helps ensure that you receive high-quality care and accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Interventional cardiology procedures treat many forms of heart disease, including conditions affecting the coronary arteries and the heart itself. Interventional cardiology encompasses diagnostic procedures, such as cardiac catheterization, as well as procedures to correct a defect or repair damage.
Your primary care provider or cardiologist may recommend you see an interventional cardiologist for several reasons, such as if you’re experiencing symptoms that could be related to a blockage in the coronary arteries. Interventional cardiology may be used to treat many different conditions, including:
Interventional cardiology procedures are sometimes performed on an emergency basis, such as restoring blood flow to the heart after a heart attack.
You’ll also note that not all the above conditions affect the heart. Interventional cardiology services may also treat conditions affecting blood vessels in other body parts, including the carotid or peripheral arteries.
Interventional cardiology procedures can be used as a diagnostic tool, a treatment or both. At Methodist Le Bonheur, we offer many interventional cardiology services, including:
Some of the most common interventional cardiology procedures are often performed in conjunction with each other.
Interventional cardiology procedures are minimally invasive since they access the body through a blood vessel. That means the access point into the body is a tiny puncture or incision rather than the larger incisions required for other heart procedures.
During an open-heart procedure, such as a traditional heart bypass or a valve repair, accessing the heart requires opening the chest, which cuts open both the skin and the sternum.
Recovery after open-heart procedures usually requires several days to a week in the hospital and a lengthy healing process at home. On the other hand, recovery after an interventional cardiology procedure is often much quicker. The minimally invasive nature of these procedures benefits patients by offering fewer complications, reduced bleeding, less pain and a quicker discharge from the hospital.
While not an option for treating every heart disease, interventional cardiology offers a less invasive option for treating many heart conditions. Your doctor can advise whether an interventional cardiology procedure would be appropriate.
During cardiac catheterization, a catheter is inserted into the body and maneuvered through blood vessels up to the heart. Once the catheter is in place, an interventional cardiologist can perform many different diagnostic tests, such as checking the pressure in the heart chambers or evaluating how well the chambers contract, taking blood samples, looking for valvular defects or removing a small tissue sample to biopsy.
An interventional cardiologist may also capture detailed images of the heart using X-rays and contrast dye. This diagnostic test, called a coronary angiogram, involves injecting contrast dye into the blood vessels to assess whether blood flows properly through and around the heart.
If a blockage is found during this procedure, the interventional cardiologist will determine whether angioplasty is an appropriate treatment option. If so, a balloon-tipped catheter will be woven up to the blocked artery and inflated. This pushes the plaque blocking the artery to the sides of the artery wall, restoring blood flow to the heart.
In many cases, a mesh tube called a stent is then placed into the artery to keep it open and maintain blood flow. Angioplasties, also called percutaneous coronary interventions, are an option for treating blockages, providing an alternative to an open-heart bypass procedure.
