What are Interventional Procedures?
An interventional procedure is a non-surgical treatment used to open narrowed coronary arteries to improve blood flow to the heart. An interventional procedure can be performed during a diagnostic cardiac catheterization when a blockage is identified, or it may be scheduled after a catheterization has confirmed the presence of coronary artery disease. An interventional procedure starts out the same way as a cardiac catheterization. Once the catheter is in place, one of these interventional procedures is performed to open the artery: balloon angioplasty, stent placement, rotoblation or cutting balloon. Balloon angioplasty: (Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty or PTCA) A procedure in which a small balloon at the tip of the catheter is inserted near the blocked or narrowed area of the coronary artery. The technical name for balloon angioplasty is percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). When the balloon is inflated, the
Depending on the patient’s specific condition, an interventional procedure can involve several techniques and devices, including: Angioplasty: a 45-minute procedure in which a small balloon is inserted in an artery via catheter and inflated to open an area of blockage; Atherectomy: a procedure involving a catheter with a rotating tip that either breaks up calcified plaque into very small particles or removes plaque; Stent: a small mesh sleeve, used over an angioplasty balloon and left in place as a framework to keep an area of blockage open. CRF has also been active in developing stents that are coated with drugs to help prevent recurrence of blockage due to formation of scar tissue (restenosis); Valvuloplasty: a procedure in which a narrowed heart valve is stretched open using a procedure that does not require open heart surgery. Radiation Therapy: also known as brachytherapy, this technique is used as an adjunct to other treatments to help prevent restenosis or its recurrence. Drug t
