What Is Interventional Cardiology?
Interventional cardiology is the subspecialty of cardiology that uses specialized catheter-based techniques to diagnose and treat coronary artery disease, vascular disease, structural heart disease, and congenital heart defects. Interventional cardiologists use various diagnostic tools and imaging techniques to measure cardiovascular functions such as blood pressure and blood flow in major arteries throughout the body and within the different chambers of the heart.
Differences Between Interventional Cardiology, General Cardiology, and Cardiac Surgery
“The major difference between interventional cardiology and general cardiology is that interventional cardiologists are trained to perform specific catheter-based treatments for heart disease, whereas general cardiologists are not trained in those procedures”.
General cardiologists specialize in the diagnosis and care of patients with conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and elevated risk of heart attack or stroke. They conduct and order many types of tests and procedures related to cardiovascular concerns — heart-rhythm disorders, for example — but they do not perform traditional “open” surgeries or endoscopic procedures. General cardiologists may follow up on subspecialist care and/or see patients long-term for cardiovascular concerns.
Interventional cardiologists are cardiology subspecialists who are trained to place stents in clogged arteries to allow blood to flow properly and reduce risk of stroke or heart attack, as well as to repair holes in the heart or place special devices in the heart to help it function properly.
Using cutting-edge technology and the newest techniques and complex advancements in this field of medicine — such as cardiac catheterization, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), and mitral valve replacement and repairs — interventional cardiologists perform delicate life-saving and life-enhancing procedures to treat patients with heart disease, valve defects, or structural abnormalities.
Interventional cardiologists usually are not an ongoing part of a patient’s medical team, but rather a one-time or occasional care provider, when their specific expertise is required for a certain procedure.
Cardiac surgeons perform traditional “open” surgeries, such as coronary artery bypass surgery. Patients who see general cardiologists and/or interventional cardiologists may be referred to a cardiac surgeon if their heart condition can’t be treated with medication or a less invasive catheter-based procedure. Neither general cardiologists nor interventional cardiologists perform surgery.
Interventional Cardiology Tests and Procedures
Interventional cardiologists perform many types of tests and procedures on people of all ages. It’s important to note that while interventional cardiologists perform a number of life-saving procedures, they do not do traditional “open” surgery; cardiac surgeons do that. The tests and procedures an interventional cardiologist performs or orders depend on the patient’s specific issue, overall health, and wellness goals. Continuing advances in interventional cardiology mean that state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic care is available to even the most fragile, at-risk patients.