Interventional cardiology
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2008-07-04T18:11:46Z
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/* See also */
[[Category:Cardiology]]
[[Category:Interventional cardiology]]
'''Interventional cardiology''' is a branch of the [[medicine|medical]] specialty of [[cardiology]] that deals specifically with the catheter based treatment of structural [[heart disease]]s.
A large number of procedures can be performed on the [[heart]] by [[coronary catheterization|catheterization]]. This most commonly involves the insertion of a sheath into the [[femoral artery]] (but, in practice, any large peripheral artery or vein) and cannulating the heart under [[X-ray]] visualization (most commonly [[fluoroscopy]], a real-time x-ray).
Procedures performed by specialists in interventional cardiology:
* [[Angioplasty]] (PTCA, Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty) - for [[coronary artery|coronary]] [[atherosclerosis]]
* Valvuloplasty - dilation of narrowed cardiac valves (usually mitral, aortic or pulmonary)
* Procedures for congenital heart disease - insertion of occluders for ventricular or atrial septal defects, occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus, angioplasty of great vessels
* Emergency angioplasty and stenting of occluded coronary vessels in the setting of acute myocardial infarction
* Coronary Thrombectomy - a procedure performed to remove thrombus (blood clot) from blood vessels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enh.org/clinicalservices/cardiology/treatment/interventional/procedures/default.aspx?id=3631|title=Evanston Northwestern Hospital Interventional Cardiology|accessdate=2008-03-06}}</ref>
Invasive procedures of the heart to treat arrhythmias are performed by specialists in [[clinical cardiac electrophysiology]]
Surgery of the heart is done by the specialty of [[cardiothoracic surgery]]. Some interventional cardiology procedures are only performed when there is cardiothoracic surgery expertise in the hospital, in case of complications.
==See also==
* [[Interventional radiology]]
* [[Catheter]]
* [[Cannula]]
* [[Stent]]
* [[Restenosis]]
==References==
{{Reflist|1}}
==External links==
* [http://www.angioplasty.org Angioplasty.Org]
* [http://www.europcronline.com EuroPCROnline.com]
* [http://www.tctmd.com/csportal/appmanager/tctmd/main tctmd.com]
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