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Interventional Cardiology
The Heart Center continues to be a leader in interventional cardiology services. As one of the first locations in North Carolina where angioplasty and directional atherectomies were performed, the Heart Center offers the newest and best therapeutic options available to patients with heart disease, including:
- Angioplasty - a noninvasive interventional cardiology procedure where a balloon-tipped catheter is introduced into a diseased blood vessel. As the balloon is inflated, the vessel opens further allowing for improved flow of blood.
- Atherectomy – an interventional cardiology procedure for opening coronary arteries blocked by plaque (the build-up of cholesterol and other fatty substances in the inner lining of an artery). Cardiologists with the Heart Center perform directional atherectomies, extraction atherectomies and rotational atherectomies.
- Stents - a wire mesh tube is inserted into a coronary artery to keep it open and improve blood flow to the heart muscle.
Several Heart Center research programs focus on the biology of restenosis for interventional cardiology purposes as well as the development of more effective treatments. These studies including infusing an anti-platelet agent into the arteries and tracking the results with ultrasound, and evaluating the use of stents after debulking.
Interventional Cardiology: Getting the Most out of Stents Stents are becoming the mainstay of interventional cardiology treatments. Heart Center cardiologists use stents aggressively, often combining them with catheter-based procedures so the stent can be expanded, enlarging the opening for blood flow. The Heart Center is often selected to test new interventional cardiology technology, such as more flexible models, giving our patients access to the latest treatments. |
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