Interventional Cardiology Services

Interventional cardiology is a subspecialty of cardiology focused on diagnosing and fixing problems with blood vessel supply to the heart through minimally invasive cardiac catheterization techniques performed by interventional cardiologists.

Some heart disease treatments also use cardiac catheterization, such as balloon angioplasty (opens blocked arteries), balloon valvuloplasty (widens a stiff or narrowed heart valve), and coronary stenting (holds open previously blocked arteries).

Cardiac catheterization

Cardiac catheterization has a fast recovery time with a low risk of complications and is typically performed when patients are awake but given medications to relax.

Cardiac catheterization is performed by inserting a tiny hollow tube (catheter) into an artery or vein in your arm, groin, neck or and threading it through your blood vessels to your heart.

Once in position, the tip of the catheter can measure pressures within various parts of the heart and inject a contrast dye into the coronary arteries to assist with diagnostic techniques.

We also perform intravascular ultrasounds (IVUS) for an "inside out" view of the coronary arteries using sound waves during cardiac catheterization, similar to an echocardiogram.

Conditions we treat

Inova Schar Heart and Vascular is at the forefront of both research and innovative advancements in interventional cardiology.

We treat the full spectrum of conditions, including:

See clinical trials related to these conditions