Non-Invasive Cardiology Procedures

1. Echocardiography: It is an echo test or heart ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart.
2. 3D Echocardiography: It is a painless echo test that will provide cardiac structures from any spatial point of view and give detailed information about absolute heart chamber volumes and functions.
3. TEE: Transesophageal echocardiography is a test that uses sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart and its blood vessels.
4. Dobutamine stress ECHO: It is a test procedure used to determine the heart’s function and structures under stress.
5. Contrast Echocardiography: It is a procedure to improve echocardiographic resolution and provide real-time evaluation of intracardiac blood flow.
6. Holter: A Holter is a portable electrocardiography device used for cardiac monitoring (tracking heart’s rhythms) for 24 to 48 hours.
7. Ambulatory Blood Pressure monitoring: It is a method used to measure blood pressure at regular intervals.
8. Tilt Table Study: This is a test used to determine the cause of fainting spells (syncope).

Invasive Cardiology Procedures

1. Angiography/Cardiac Cath: It is an imaging technique that uses X-rays to view the inside or lumen of blood vessels and organs of the body.
2. Angioplasty, including complex angioplasties like chronic total Occlusion: It is a minimally invasive technique used to restore blood flow through the artery. Chronic Total Occlusion is a complete blockage of a coronary artery for 30 or more days.
3. Percutaneous Aortic, Mitral, Pulmonary and Tricuspid Valvotomies: It is a procedure that involves the replacement of the Aortic valve, Mitral valve, Pulmonary valve, and Tricuspid valve due to high surgical risk.
4. Percutaneous Aortic aneurysm repair by stent grafts: It is a minimally invasive technique to repair an aortic aneurysm (abnormal bulge in the aorta) using a stent graft.
5. Renal Angioplasty and Carotid Angioplasty :
   • Renal angioplasty is a method to treat renal artery stenosis (a narrowed renal artery). Carotid Angioplasty is a method that opens the blocked arteries to restore blood flow to the brain.
6. Peripheral Angioplasty, including Subintimal Angioplasty :
   • Peripheral angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to re-open blood vessels to allow oxygen-rich blood to pass through smoothly.
   • Subintimal Angioplasty is a procedure to treat athero-occlusive disease of the superficial femoral artery.
7. IVC filter and Pulmonary Embolectomy :
   • The inferior vena cava is a type of vascular filter to help prevent pulmonary embolism.
   • A Pulmonary Embolectomy is a surgical method that involves the removal of a pulmonary embolism, which is a blockage in an artery in the lungs.
8. Septal Ablation for HOCM: It is a non-surgical procedure to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (heart muscle becomes abnormally thick).
9. Device closure of congenital cardiac defects: The closure devices are used to close a defect (birth defect) or an opening between the right and left sides of the heart.
10. Radiofrequency Ablation for supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmia: It is a procedure used to treat ventricular tachycardia (Coronary Artery Disease and Remote Myocardial infarction).
11. 3D Electrical Cardiac Mapping: It is a procedure that is used to diagnose the improper beating of the heart, which may be irregular, too fast, or too slow. This condition is referred to as arrhythmia.
12. Pacemaker Implantation: It is a procedure in which a small electronic device is implanted in the chest to help regulate slow electrical problems with the heart.
13. ICDs and Combo device implantation: ICDs are implantable cardioverter defibrillators is a devices used to track heart rate. Whereas, A combo device is used to improve the pumping capacity of the heart and prevent sudden death in patients with heart failure.
14. Resynchronization therapy: It is a procedure used to implant a device in your chest to make your heart chambers contract in an efficient way (a treatment option for heart failure).
15. IVUS: It is an Intravascular ultrasound or intravascular echocardiography procedure which uses high-frequency sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart. This procedure will show a detailed visualization of the artery wall and provide significant information about the amount of plaque developed and assess if the individual is at risk of a heart attack.

FAQs

Q1. What is the procedure of cardiology?

Cardiology procedures include various tests and treatments to diagnose and manage heart conditions. These may be:

• Non-invasive: ECG, Echocardiogram, Treadmill Test (TMT), or CT Angiography
• Invasive: Angioplasty, Angiography, Pacemaker implantation, or Bypass surgery

The choice depends on the patient’s symptoms and diagnosis.

Q2. How do I know which cardiology procedure is right for me?

Your cardiologist will decide based on your symptoms, test results, and overall heart health. They may start with non-invasive tests and recommend invasive procedures only if necessary. Every treatment plan is personalized.

Q3. Are cardiology procedures safe?

Yes, most cardiology procedures are safe and well-practiced. With modern technology and expert care, the risk of complications is low. As with any medical procedure, your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits beforehand.

Q4. What is the difference between invasive and non-invasive cardiology?

• Non-invasive cardiology involves procedures that don’t require entering the body (e.g., ECG, Echo, TMT).
• Invasive cardiology includes procedures where instruments are inserted into the body, usually through blood vessels (e.g., Angiography, Stent placement).

Q5. Are invasive cardiology procedures painful?

Invasive procedures are usually done under local or general anesthesia, so patients feel little to no pain during the procedure. Some discomfort may be felt afterward, but it’s manageable and usually temporary.