Interventional Cardiology: Minimally Invasive Heart Procedures and Conditions Treated
What Is Interventional Cardiology?
A catheter-based subspecialty diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease without open surgery. Procedures use fluoroscopic guidance via arterial/venous access (radial, femoral).
Common Procedures
| Procedure | Indication |
|---|---|
| Coronary angiography | Visualize coronary anatomy; diagnose CAD |
| PCI (angioplasty ± stent) | Open narrowed coronary arteries (stable angina, ACS) |
| TAVR | Severe aortic stenosis (high/intermediate surgical risk) |
| TMVR / MitraClip | Mitral regurgitation |
| Balloon valvuloplasty | Mitral/aortic/pulmonic stenosis |
| ASD/PFO/PDA closure | Congenital shunts |
| VSD closure | Post-MI or congenital VSD |
| Peripheral intervention | PAD, renal/mesenteric stenosis |
| Physiologic assessment (FFR, iFR, IVUS, OCT) | Lesion significance, stent optimization |
Training Pathway
- Internal Medicine residency (3 years)
- Cardiology fellowship (3 years)
- Interventional cardiology fellowship (1–2 years)
Team-Based Care
Interventionalists collaborate with general cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, heart failure specialists, electrophysiologists, imaging experts, and specialized nursing/tech teams in the cath lab.
Advances
Radial access (less bleeding), bioresorbable scaffolds, AI-assisted imaging, robotics, and expanding structural heart indications.
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