What is interventional cardiology?

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in the US, with most cases stemming from blood vessel blockages. At UTHealth Houston Heart & Vascular, our team excels in preventing, diagnosing, and treating these blockages through advanced, minimally invasive procedures. Our cardiac catheterization laboratory operates 24/7, offering the latest techniques to diagnose and treat complex cardiovascular conditions.

Our interventional cardiologists utilize flexible catheters to access the heart’s blood vessels through small incisions in the wrist, arm, neck, or groin. These techniques allow our skilled physicians to open blocked arteries, measure heart chamber pressure, and obtain heart tissue samples sparing patients from the need for open heart surgery. Our skilled physicians employ these methods to address various conditions like narrowed arteries, blood clots, damaged heart valves, or heart failure, often avoiding the necessity for open heart surgery while effectively treating complex cardiac issues.

Particularly beneficial for older individuals and those with underlying medical conditions, these interventions typically result in fewer complications, reduced discomfort, and quicker recovery, including shorter hospital stays.

Diseases and conditions

Our interventional cardiologist treat a number of conditions that affect your heart and blood vessels including:

• Aneurysms
• Atherosclerosis
• Carotid artery disease
• Chronic venous (vein) disease
• Coronary artery disease including unstable disease and heart attacks
• Coronary artery fistula (unusual connection to another blood vessel or part of your heart)
• Coronary and peripheral intervention program
• Heart valve disease
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Thromboembolic disease (blood clots)

Do I need a referral to see a provider in interventional cardiology?

Yes, it’s likely that you will need a referral to schedule an appointment with an interventional cardiologist. Typically, another health care provider will refer you to an interventional cardiologist because they possess the specialized expertise required to perform the specific test or procedure you need.

Our advanced treatment options

Our interventional cardiology team provides a comprehensive array of procedures for treating heart conditions, including:

• Advanced hemodynamic assessment
• Alcohol septal ablation and septal coiling
• Angioplasty (coronary and peripheral)
• Atrial septal defect closure
• Cardiac catheterization
• Clot extraction technology
• Coronary atherectomy (plaque modification)
• Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) therapy for atrial fibrillation
• Patent foramen ovale closure
• Renal denervation (damaging renal artery nerves to lower blood pressure)
• Stent placement
• Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
• Ventricular septal defect

Our expert team of Interventionists are leading experts in handling all potential complications associated with cardiac catheterizations and interventions, including the management of mechanical complications of percutaneous interventions, such as:

• Cardiogenic shock
• Cardiac tamponade including pericardiocentesis
• Coronary dissection
• Left main trunk dissection
• Perforation
• Peripheral vessel occlusion and retained components
• Pseudoaneurysm
• “Slow flow”
• Spasm
• Thrombosis

Clinical trials and research

Clinical trials

Our Interventional Cardiology program has a long history of clinical research providing early access to promising treatments for eligible patients. Many UTHealth Houston clinical trials focus on developing additional transcatheter techniques to fulfill unmet needs in the mitral and tricuspid space. This allows our patients to receive groundbreaking therapies when conventional treatments fail.

Research

Being at the forefront of interventional cardiology advancements to offer the most innovative technologies is essential to our team. UTHealth Houston physicians participate in national and international research trials and outcome studies to pioneer new ways of customizing transcatheter heart procedures.

Our goal is to achieve the lowest morbity and mortality of patients, while working to improve our patient’s overall quality of life.

Why choose our program: The UTHealth Houston advantage

At UTHealth Houston, we have an extraordinary track record of pioneering interventional heart procedures and providing remarkable care. Our legacy includes several notable achievements:

• Texas’ top-rated TAVR program: UTHealth Houston’s Interventional Cardiology Program is proud to be the only three star TAVR program in Texas.
• Leading Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair’s (TEER) in Houston: With over 700 mitral TEER procedures performed, our program offers unparalleled expertise to complex cases.
• Texas’ first Amulet: UTHealth Houston made history as the first in Texas to implant the commercial Amulet device, demonstrating our commitment to pioneering advanced cardiac treatments.
• Texas’ first Transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) with EVOQUE: As the first to perform a commercial TTVR in Texas using EVOQUE, UTHealth Houston continues to lead in groundbreaking heart valve replacement procedures, offering patients cutting-edge care.
• Exclusive and emerging therapies: We offer unique treatments not available elsewhere in the region. Our expertise extends to emerging procedures accessible only through clinical trials. Among these are interventions for tricuspid and mitral valve regurgitation using transcatheter approaches. Additionally, we provide alternatives for atrial septal defect (ASD) treatment, employing innovative methods such as small mesh tube (stent) placement.
• Unmatched outcomes: Our results consistently rank among the best in the nation. We hold top ratings for TAVR procedures in the Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry, a prestigious national outcomes database endorsed by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American College of Cardiology.
• Holistic, collaborative approach: Our interventional cardiologists work in close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including interventional echocardiographers, cardiac surgeons, vascular surgeons, and other specialties to provide the best possible care.