Heart Services
Interventional Cardiology
What is interventional cardiology?
Interventional cardiology refers to non-surgical, minimally invasive procedures for diagnosing and treating heart disease. Incisions are made in the wrists or groin where a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) is inserted through the blood vessels.
The types of heart disease treated with interventional cardiology can be narrowed arteries or weakened heart valves. These procedures are done in cardiac catheterization labs with specialized medical staff available at three of Legacy's medical centers.
What is an interventional cardiologist?
An interventional cardiologist is a specialist within the discipline of cardiology. If you think of a cardiologist as your “contractor,” an interventional cardiologist is the “plumber” for your heart.
Interventional cardiologists diagnose and treat issues of blood flow to and from the heart and cardiovascular diseases such as angina or coronary heart disease. They open up blocked arteries and restore blood flow that could potentially cause a heart attack. They can open up blocked heart valves or treat blockages in peripheral arteries such as the legs, carotid or kidney arteries.
Services for interventional cardiology
- Balloon angioplasty (PTCA)
- Coronary artery stent implant
- Renal artery angioplasty and stenting
- Lower extremity arterial angioplasty and stenting
- Carotid artery stenting
- Fractional flow reserve (FFR)
- High-risk procedures such as bifurcation blockages and coronary total occlusion
