All You Need To Know About The Interventional Cardiologist
Interventional cardiologists treat and diagnose several heart diseases and blood vessel disorders through non-surgical, catheter-based procedures and modern imaging techniques. You can get this doctor appointment for the treatment of coronary heart disorders, heart valve diseases, congenital heart disorders, and so on. But before you book an appointment with an interventional cardiologist, read on to know more about this branch of cardiology.
Difference between the best interventional cardiologist and the best cardiologist in Kolkata
The most important difference between a general cardiologist and an interventional cardiologist is that the latter is trained to carry out particular catheter-based treatments for cardiac diseases. General cardiologists do not have training in such procedures.
A general cardiologist specializes in diagnosing and taking care of patients with health conditions like the elevated risk of stroke or heart attack, high cholesterol, and hypertension. They carry out different kinds of procedures and tests pertaining to cardiovascular issues. However, they don’t carry out endoscopic procedures or conventional surgeries. They might see patients for long-term cardiovascular concerns or offer subspecialist care.
On the other hand, interventional cardiologists are the specialists who have specific training to put stents in the clogged arteries to let blood flow and mitigate the risk of heart attack, including placing special heart devices and repairing holes in the heart to help restore its proper function.
Furthermore, interventional cardiologists use advanced tech and the latest techniques in the medical field, such as mitral valve repairs and replacement, cardiac catheterization, and TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement). They carry out delicate life-enhancing and life-saving processes to offer treatments related to structural abnormalities, valve defects, or heart disease.
Usually, interventional cardiologists are not a part of the medical team of the patient. They are basically an occasional or one-time caregiver when their particular expertise is necessary for a particular procedure.
Specialized training is taken by the best cardiologist in Kolkata
Usually, an interventional cardiologist has to complete six years of training in post-medical school and a general cardiology fellowship. After this, they take at least two years of additional training in interventional cardiology. In total, they need to go for nine years of postgraduate training. It is the same as the advanced subspecialties in surgery.
Take doctor appointments for the following treatments
An interventional cardiologist treats your cardiovascular system that involves all the chambers of your heart, the arteries, the heart valves, along the coronary arteries. Moreover, there are pediatric interventional cardiologists who primarily focus on various congenital heart disorders, abnormalities in heart structure, and coronary arteries present at birth.
Also, an interventional cardiologist offers various specialized therapies, diagnostic tools, procedures, and treatments. It is important to point out that though interventional cardiologists offer several life-saving treatments, they don’t offer conventional ‘open’ surgeries. That is something cardiac surgeons take care of.
Interventional cardiology involves several areas of expertise and conditions, such as:
- Angioplasty and stent placement
- Cardiac catheterization
- Coronary angioplasty and stenting
- Percutaneous valve repair
- Vascular medicine
- Stem-cell therapy, and so on
Procedures and tests ordered by an interventional cardiologist
Interventional cardiologists are responsible to carry out different kinds of procedures and tests on patients. The tests that they order are based on the wellness goals, overall health, and specific issues of the patients. Relentless advancements in interventional cardiology have made state-of-the-art therapeutic and diagnostic care available to highly sensitive, at-risk individuals.
Some of the procedures and tests performed and ordered by interventional cardiologists include:
Different types of cardiovascular imaging:
An interventional cardiologist usually orders imaging studies for getting a closer look at the function and structure of the cardiovascular and cardiac systems. It lets them manage, monitor, diagnose, and evaluate different vascular and heart-related concerns.
Cardiac computed tomography
Use computers, imaging, and x-ray technology for creating a cross-sectional view of the major vessels, circulation, and anatomy of the heart.
Coronary angiography:
The imaging study utilizes contrast dye that gets injected in the bloodstream using a catheter and it’s visible through x-ray images when blood flows through your arteries.
Digital subtraction angiography:
The fluoroscopic imaging method is useful in offering clear visuals of blood vessels by digital removal of structures like bones from the images
Echocardiogram:
The type of imaging that uses sound waves of high-frequency for creating the images of the blood vessels, walls, valves, and chambers of the heart. This special technique shows the shape and size of the heart of the patient, along with the movement and thickness of the walls of the heart when it beats.
Medical procedures:
An interventional cardiologist performs a number of therapeutic and diagnostic procedures, which includes:
Alcohol septal ablation:
The catheter-based process is generally utilized as a non-surgical way for treating HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) – a kind of disorder that thickens the heart muscles.
Angioplasty:
A type of minimally invasive process where devices like a stent or balloon is utilized for opening a blocked artery and restoring blood flow. There are two main types of angioplasties, namely, cutting balloon angioplasty and balloon angioplasty.
Cardiac catheterization:
It is a procedure carried out to examine how well the heart works. A hollow, thin tube known as a catheter gets inserted in the larger blood vessel that goes in the heart.
Atrial septal defect closure:
It is a procedure that is useful in the treatment of atrial septal defects, i.e., congenital holes in the heart that don’t close naturally. Interventional cardiologists usually order the use of special plugs or patches to close these holes. Though atrial septal defects are usually treated with minimally invasive procedures, they might need open surgeries in some cases.
Wrapping up
So, this was all that you needed to know about interventional cardiologists. If you feel any discomfort or pain in your chest, make sure not to ignore it. Get in touch with a cardiologist at the earliest and get checked to ensure that you have nothing to worry about. Book an appointment with a well-reputed cardiologist near you and visit their clinic as soon as possible. After all, your heart health has to be one of your top priorities.
