Interventional Cardiology

Through interventional cardiology, minimally invasive procedures treat structural heart conditions affecting coronary arteries, heart valves and more. A few conditions that interventional cardiologists treat and prevent include:

• Atrial fibrillation — irregular heart rhythm

• Cardiomyopathy — heart muscle that is thick and stiff

• Chronic mesenteric ischemia — blocked arteries leading to the intestines

• Congenital heart defects — conditions that are present from birth, such as atrial septal defects, patent foramen ovale and ventricular septal defect

• Coronary heart disease — blocked arteries leading to the heart

• Disease of the veins

• Myocardial infarction — heart attack

• Renal artery stenosis — blocked arteries leading to the kidneys

• Renovascular hypertension — high blood pressure in arteries leading to the kidneys, a complication of renal artery stenosis

• Peripheral artery disease — blocked arteries leading to the arms and legs

• Pulmonary embolism — a blocked artery in the lung, usually caused by a blood clot

• Stroke

• Structural heart disease

• Varicose veins

At Ochsner, our interventional cardiology team uses the latest diagnostic advances for an accurate diagnosis. These include:

• Fractional flow reserve to identify restricted blood flow

• Intravascular ultrasound for detecting the presence and severity of blockages inside arteries

• Optical coherence tomography to get a high-definition view of the inside of your coronary arteries

With an accurate diagnosis, our team develops an individualized care plan. Interventional cardiology specializes in detecting and treating conditions with thin, flexible tubes called catheters. The interventional cardiologist guides the catheter to the suspected problem area and uses special imaging technology to see inside the arteries and valves. These procedures may prevent the need for open-heart surgery.

A few catheter-based procedures offered include:

• Alcohol septal ablation thins thick heart walls caused by cardiomyopathy.

• Angioplasty and stenting (also known as percutaneous coronary intervention) helps open blocked or narrowed arteries.

• Atherectomy removes fat and cholesterol that blocks blood flow in coronary arteries.

• Below-the-knee endovascular surgical procedures reduce the need for amputation for patients with non-healing wounds due to critical limb ischemia.

• Left atrial appendance treatment traps clots that form inside the heart because of atrial fibrillation.

• Melody valve therapy helps pediatric and adult patients seeking to postpone heart transplantation.

• MitraClip is an advanced valve repair technique that prevents blood from backflowing into the left atrium of the heart as a result of a defective mitral valve.

• TandemHeart and Impella devices keep the heart beating until transplant or other treatment is available.

• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) replaces a diseased aortic valve without major surgery.

Every day, patients benefit from the power of interventional cardiology at Ochsner. We also garner praise from outside organizations. The John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute was awarded the 2022 Transcatheter Valve Certification by the American College of Cardiology.

When you come to Ochsner for interventional cardiology, you have access to a multidisciplinary team of experts. Depending on your needs, one or more of the following specialists may cooperate in your care:

• Cardiac surgeons
• Cardiologists
• Electrophysiologists
• Radiation oncologists (we are one of 20 locations in the U.S. to deliver catheter-delivered radiation seeds directly into the coronary artery)

Additionally, support services ensure you recover and return to life, ready to maintain your good health. A few support programs we offer include:

• Digital hypertension program. We provide tools to manage your blood pressure or blood sugar from the comfort of your home.
• Cardiac rehabilitation. You perform specialized exercises under the watchful eye of a rehabilitation specialist. Your therapist also provides ongoing education to protect your heart in the future.
• Vascular medicine clinic. If your condition affects arteries leading to the kidneys, legs or other areas, this clinic provides specialized care only available at a few locations across the country.

Many heart conditions have multiple treatments. When there is no currently approved treatment, the Ochsner interventional cardiology team may refer you to a clinical trial.

At any given time, we have multiple trials taking place. In some cases, we’re the only location in the United States offering a specific trial. We do this to offer new hope for those with no other options.

Clinical trials also have long-term benefits. When a trial uncovers new therapies for difficult cardiovascular disease, current patients and future generations reap the rewards.

If you’re a candidate for an ongoing clinical trial, your care team will approach you about the possibility.