Interventional Cardiology
Interventional cardiology is a specialized area of cardiovascular care, often associated with heart attack treatment, that uses a tiny hollow tube, or catheter, inserted into a blood vessel to diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases or conditions. At Pardee, our interventional cardiologists work in our cardiac catheterization lab and are skilled at performing scheduled and emergency cardiac cath procedures.
Cardiac Catheterization
During a heart attack, a cardiac catheterization becomes a lifesaving procedure, as the interventional cardiologist races to open the blood vessel before permanent damage to the heart occurs. As a designated PCI-receiving hospital, patients experiencing a heart attack in Henderson, Transylvania, or Polk County can be transported by EMS to Pardee for treatment.
With our interventional cardiologists and Emergency Department staff, Pardee is ready to activate our Cardiac Cath Lab team to treat you. It all starts when EMS is deployed by calling 9-1-1. Driving to the hospital delays treatment, so always call 9-1-1 so that EMS can assess and begin initial care during transport to the hospital and notify our team of all updates as our cardiologist awaits the patient’s arrival. Learn more
What is Cardiac Catheterization?
Cardiac catheterization is not surgery. It is a minimally invasive procedure in which a catheter is used to deliver tools or treatments through the blood vessels to the heart or other parts of the circulatory system. It helps doctors diagnose and treat heart disease, vascular disease, heart defects and heart attacks.
What Happens During a Cardiac Cath Procedure?
You will be awake or mildly sedated. Our interventional cardiologists numb a small area of the groin or wrist and a catheter will be threaded into a blood vessel through a small puncture in one of those areas.
Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization
During diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedures, our interventional cardiologists use the catheter to look inside your blood vessels and evaluate blockages from diseases, such as atherosclerosis, and defects of your heart and vascular structures. These diagnostic procedures include:
- Angiograms
- Intravascular ultrasound, performed in an artery to determine heart function.
Cardiac Catheterization to Treat Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions
A cardiac cath may also be used to treat various cardiovascular diseases and conditions. Here are common procedures performed in our Catheterization Lab:
- Angioplasty, also called percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI
- Stent, a small mesh tube that opens a narrowed artery or supports a weakened artery
- Atherectomy, used to remove plaque buildup from the artery walls
Additionally, a catheter can be used to treat structural defects of the heart, which impact your heart’s ability to efficiently pump blood.
