Interventional cardiology is a subspecialty within cardiology. Allowing to study, diagnose and treat all pathologies related to the health of your heart. Through invasive techniques, such as puncture of arteries and veins.
One of the great advantages of this subspecialty of cardiology, compared to other types of techniques Is the rapid recovery of the patient treated. Making interventional cardiology a clean and fast way to diagnose and treat.
If you are F1 (Formula 1) lovers or fans, you will have understood the title of this article immediately. If on the other hand, you have other hobbies and you are a little lost right now. Excuse me! I’ll explain Pit Box or Pit Stop (race), is the spot where the car is checked before, during and after the race.
What is a Pit Stop? “In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tyres, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, as a penalty, or any combination of the above.” Wikipedia (EN).
- Of common interest – The fastest Pit Stop in the history of F1 occurred in 2013 & 2016, the time achieved was 1.92 seconds.
Clarified this point and added, another piece of public interest to our knowledge shopping basket, let’s start with F1 cardiology through THIS’ partner, Hospital San Juan de Dios.
What does interventional cardiology diagnose and treat ?
Interventional cardiology, through intracardiac studies, as informed earlier, can analyse all diseases related to the heart. Thus being able to diagnose and treat. These are:
- Pressures – diastolic & systolic
- Heart’s valves functionality – tricuspid valve (blood flow between the right atrium and the right ventricle), pulmonary valve (blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary arteries), mitral valve (left atrium to the left ventricle) and aortic valve (left ventricle) to the aorta
- Malformations – among others, the most frequent are ventricular septal defects (VSD), transposition of large vessels (D-TGV), interatrial communications (ASD), ‘ductus’ or arterial duct persistence (PCA), tetralogy of Fallot
- Cardiac cavities’ volume – cardiac waste or cardiac debit are the volume of blood expelled by a ventricle in one minute
- The anatomy of the heart – the functionality of the heart is made up of a hollow chamber of muscular walls. Which is divided into four and its function is to pump blood
Offering this type of possibilities, specialists in interventional cardiology, achieve a diagnosis and treat the disease. In addition to a solid diagnosis, it allows them to know the consequences to which the heart is exposed.
At the same time, another of the functions of interventional cardiology is to carry out treatments for heart diseases through the use of local anesthesia. Resulting on an earlier recovery.
- Fact – Malformations of the heart are the most common congenital defect in the world, experts say
What type of diagnose gives a catheterisation in interventional cardiology?
Catheterisation can diagnose almost all heart diseases. Although the specialist will always assess the risks beforehand. As well as the possibility of making the diagnosis through other non-invasive tests.
In any case, the catheterisation will be used when the specialist in interventional cardiology has doubts or conflicting data to aceart a diagnose and treat. It is in these cases when the preciseness of catheterisation helps to diagnose artery diseases related to the heart.
This is because it allows you to see the obstructions and the severity of the problem. Providing results that will aid the doctor to eliminate any doubt or conflicting data there was previously. Giving him assurance and thus a diagnosis that will treat the patient in a proper manner.
Therapeutic catheterisation
Another type of catheterisation, used in interventional cardiology is the therapeutic. This type of technique allows to follow treatments directly in the area that is being inspected.
One of the possibilities that therapeutic catheterisation allows is to place a coronary Stent in the artery of the heart. Which is placed through a catheter similar to the one used for the diagnosis. It is less aggressive to the coronary bypass surgery.
Which interventional cardiology services can you find in THIS to diagnose and treat?
Hemodynamics
Diagnostic Procedures – valvular, myocardial, pericardial, coronary, congenital, aortic and large vessel diseases
Coronagraphy diagnostic. Right catheterisation | Ventriculography | Aortography | Pulmonary arteriography
Therapeutic Procedures – percutaneous treatment of coronary diseases and some congenital diseases. Among which we can find simple angioplasty, multi segment or conventional multivessel (only with balloon), angioplasty with implant of intracoronary prosthesis (stent), simple, multisegment, multivessel. Manual and mechanical thrombectomy, diagnostic and evacuation pericardiocentesis or implantation of temporary pacemakers.
Electrophysiology
Diagnostic procedures – study syncope, brady or tachyarrhythmias or flecainide test for screening of Sd. of Brugada
Therapeutic Procedures – Atrial Flutter Ablation, Intranodal Tachycardia, Atrial Tachycardia, Ventricular Tachycardia, AV Node Ablation, and Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.
Implantation of devices – pacemaker and defibrillators implantation, pacemaker synchronizers or DAI and implantation of subcutaneous (Holter).
Electric cardioversion
Complementary tests – clinical analysis laboratory, high resolution Doppler echocardiography, echo stress cardiography. Stress tests, the 24-hour ECG Holter and the Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM).
As we can see interventional cardiology in THIS offers us a total pit stop, to be able to diagnose and treat. Giving us, in record time, the state of our heart’s health. Something that will be doubly enjoyed considering the fact that summer season is already here.
Therefore, what better solution to heart problems can be found, no long waits and with record recovery times. Difficult to find something better, right? Check with your GP for the options and professionals available.
