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 advanced techniques are performed on an outpatient basis and offer a non-surgical alternative to treat many heart conditions.
Board-certified interventional cardiologists at Santa Rosa Medical Center use a variety of catheter-assisted techniques to treat heart disease, including:
- Cardiac catheterization - Catheterization is the insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart. This is done for both diagnostic and interventional purposes. Coronary catheterization is a subset of this technique, involving the catheterization of the coronary arteries.
- Balloon angioplasty - Also known as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, or PTCA, this procedure is used to open blocked coronary arteries. During cardiac catheterization, an expandable balloon is delivered through a catheter into a narrowed part of the coronary artery. The balloon is then inflated, stretching the artery open and allowing blood to flow through.
- Stenting - Through cardiac catheterization, a wire mesh tube called a stent is permanently placed in a blocked artery to hold it open and allow blood to circulate. Both metal and drug-eluting stents, which secrete drugs that help prevent the blood vessel from reclosing, are available.
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