Interventional Cardiology
In some cases, heart disease can be treated using minimally invasive interventional cardiology techniques that use a catheter (thin, flexible tube) inserted into the arteries. The catheter is guided to the heart to open blocked arteries and improve blood flow. Cardiologists at Tennova Healthcare - Cleveland perform these techniques on an outpatient basis and offer a non-surgical alternative to treat many heart conditions.
Treated Cardiology Conditions
Common conditions treated by interventional cardiology include:
- Adult congenital heart disease
- Atrial fibrillation
- Chronic total occlusion
- Coronary artery disease
- Coronary intervention for myocardial infarction or heart attack
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Valvular heart disease
Techniques for Treatment
Board-certified interventional cardiologists at Tennova Healthcare - Cleveland use a variety of catheter-assisted techniques to treat heart disease, including:
- Diagnostic cardiac catheterization - Examines the heart with real-time images (fluoroscopy), and measures blood pressure, blood flow and oxygen levels, and is used to collect biopsies and blood samples.
- Angioplasty - A tiny balloon on the end of a catheter is inflated to push plaque against the wall of the artery to improve blood flow.
- Stent placement - A stent, which is a small mesh tube, is placed in an artery to hold it open and improve blood flow.
- Coronary atherectomy - A catheter fitted with a tiny rotating shaver removes hardened plaque to open a blocked artery.
- Chronic total occlusion - Intervention for heart artery blockages that are completely closed.
When patients have the need for more than one procedure, cardiologists at Tennova Healthcare - Cleveland can perform a hybrid of interventional procedures and traditional surgeries in one room.
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