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. These techniques are performed 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 North Knoxville Medical Center 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.
- Ablation - A catheter fitted with a tiny electrode eliminates abnormal heart cells that cause arrhythmias.
- 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.
Structural Heart Disease Interventions
ASD and VSD repair - To close holes in the heart with minimally invasive techniques.- Balloon valvuloplasty - Used in treating aortic and mitral stenosis with minimally invasive techniques.
- Left atrial appendage occlusion - A device is inserted into your heart to prevent a stroke when in atrial fibrillation.
- Paravalvular leak repair - To repair leaking prosthetic heart valves without traditional surgery.
- TAVR - A minimally invasive procedure to replace the aortic valve for aortic stenosis without open heart surgery.
When open-heart surgery offers the best treatment solution, board-certified cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons perform procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), congenital heart disease repair and valve repair and replacement.
When patients have the need for more than one procedure, cardiologists at North Knoxville Medical Center can perform a hybrid of interventional procedures and traditional surgeries in one room.
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