Minimally invasive procedures and surgeries take place in one of our four
cardiac catheterization labs and are used to locate blockages and other
problems. Interventional cardiologists insert a catheter into a small
incision, usually in the upper thigh, arm or neck, to reach the heart
or other peripheral arteries. Physicians view digital images real time,
pinpoint the exact problem, and decide the best treatment.
Catheterization, performed thousands of times a year, can often prevent
the need for more invasive, open-heart surgery, including transcatheter
aortic valve replacement, the newest minimally invasive way to treat valve stenosis.
A catheter with a deflated balloon tip is threaded up the coronary arteries
and inflated to widen blocked areas and increase blood flow to the heart
muscle. Like angioplasty, laser angioplasty uses a catheter with a laser
tip that opens the blocked artery or atherectomy which uses a catheter
with a rotating shaver on its tip to cut away plaque from the artery.
During angioplasty, a wire mesh stent may also be inserted to prop open
an artery.
Cardiac ablation
A catheter with an electrode at its tip is guided through the veins to
the heart muscle to remove carefully selected scar tissue in your heart
Cardiac ablation is to block irregular electrical signals in association
with heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias).
Valvuloplasty
Used to treat valve stenosis, a catheter is threaded into a blood vessel
in the groin with a deflated balloon tip that is inserted into the narrowed
heart valve. Once in place, the balloon is inflated to stretch the valve open.
Implantable cardiac devices
A pacemaker is a small device implanted in the chest that sends electrical
signals to start or regulate a slow heartbeat. Cardiac Resynchronization
treats abnormal conduction of the heart’s electrical system with
a special pacemaker making the ventricles contract more normally and in
synchrony. Cardioverter devices are implanted and deliver pacing –
or an electric counter-shock – to the heart when a life-threatening
abnormal rhythm is detected.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement
In some patients, heart valve replacement may occur without surgery, but
candidacy for this kind of procedure is highly individualized. Transcatheter
aortic valve replacement (TAVR) (link words to the new TAVR page) is an
alternative to standard open chest valve replacement surgery. TAVR is
a minimally invasive procedure that replaces a diseased aortic valve with
a man-made valve through a small incision rather than through open heart surgery.
Life after heart treatment
Following your procedure, our team works tirelessly on your behalf. At
Touro Heart & Vascular Care, we pride ourselves on our ability to
heal our patients not only with our extensive suite of surgical and non-surgical
treatments, but with helping you make the lifestyle changes you need to
maintain your new-found health and energy. Recovery is a process, and
we will work with you to refine your eating habits, adjust to medications,
and manage your activity with the goal of getting you back to the best
that you can be.
Learn more about our Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.
