Do you need bypass surgery for a heart block? Let's talk about Interventional Cardiology!

When we hear the word heart disease or heart block, a lot of us immediately feel a sense of fear. The next thing we think about is a major operation like bypass surgery. The thought of spending days in the hospital, the recovery time, and the pain makes us shiver, doesn't it? But did you know that thanks to advanced medical science today, many heart diseases can be treated without making a big incision, by inserting a thin tube (catheter) through a small hole in the wrist or groin? That amazing and very safe medical procedure is what we call Interventional Cardiology . Today, we will talk about this very simply, so that you can understand.

Simply put, what is Interventional Cardiology?

Imagine that a water pipe in your house is clogged with dirt. Now the water is flowing very slowly. There are two ways to fix this. One is to break the wall, take out the pipe, and install a new pipe. This is a lot of work, dusty, noisy, time-consuming, and expensive. The other way is, without breaking the wall, you insert a thin wire-like device into one end of the pipe, remove the clogged dirt, and clear the way. How easy is this? That's what happens in Interventional Cardiology.

Traditional open-heart surgery is a major surgery that involves breaking the wall. Interventional Cardiology is a surgical procedure that involves cleaning the heart with a delicate instrument without breaking the wall.

This is another advanced branch of the medical field called Cardiology. Here, doctors, namely Interventional Cardiologists , use very thin, flexible tubes called catheters to diagnose and treat various diseases of the heart and blood vessels. This does not require a large incision. This catheter is inserted into the body through a small needle inserted into a blood vessel in the arm or groin. Therefore, this is also called "Minimally Invasive" treatment.

What are the advantages of this method over major heart surgery?

This method has several advantages over a breast augmentation surgery. It is very important for you to know this.

What exactly does an Interventional Cardiologist do?

The main goal of these doctors is to make sure that the blood vessels in your body, especially those that connect to your heart, are working smoothly. Like traffic police on the road, they find blockages in the blood vessels, find the cause, and then remove them to restore normal blood flow.

The most common treatment is angioplasty and stenting.

This is the most common treatment in this field. It is an emergency treatment that is performed to save lives, especially when a heart attack occurs. Let's see how this happens.

1. Identifying the blockage: First, an X-ray test called an angiogram is performed to see if there is a blockage in one of the coronary arteries that supply blood to your heart.

2. Inserting the catheter:Then, a thin catheter is passed through a vein in your arm or groin and into a blood vessel in your heart. You won't even feel it.

3. Angioplasty: There is a small balloon at the end of the catheter. When the doctor reaches the blocked area, the balloon is inflated. The blocked cholesterol layer then sticks to the wall of the artery, opening the way for blood to flow again.

4. Stenting to keep the passage open: Since the passage opened with the balloon can close again, a small mesh tube called a stent is placed in the place to prevent it. This is like providing support to a tunnel that is about to collapse. This stent keeps the blood vessel open.

This procedure can be performed immediately on someone who is having a heart attack, minimizing damage to the heart and saving lives.

What other tests and treatments are performed with this method?

In addition to angioplasty and stent placement, this method is used for a number of other conditions. Here are a few of them.

Under what circumstances would you be referred to an Interventional Cardiologist?

If your family doctor or general cardiologist suspects that you have a problem with your heart or blood vessels, they may refer you to an interventional cardiologist to find out exactly what it is or to treat it.

Their help is usually needed in the following medical conditions:

• Atherosclerosis: As we discussed earlier, this means that cholesterol builds up inside the blood vessels, narrowing the passage.
• Coronary Artery Disease: Blockage of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. This causes chest pain (angina).
• Heart Valve Disease: Heart valves not working properly.
• Congenital Heart Conditions: Heart defects that are present at birth (such as holes in the heart).
• Peripheral Artery Disease: Blockage of the arteries that carry blood to the arms and legs.
• Aneurysms: A balloon-like bulge in a blood vessel.
• Blood Clots: Blood clots.

Also, if you have something like a sudden heart attack, you may be admitted directly to the hospital's Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU), where you may be treated by an Interventional Cardiologist.

What should you expect when you go to see the doctor?

It's normal to feel a little scared and nervous when going to see a specialist like this. But don't be afraid of it.

First, the doctor will ask you about your symptoms. When did the chest pain start, what does it feel like, and how long has it been going on? Then, they will ask if anyone in your family has heart disease.

The most important thing is to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking.That means not only taking prescription medications, but also over-the-counter painkillers, vitamins, and traditional medicines (Sinhala medicine) that you use at the pharmacy, and you need to tell them all. The best thing to do is write them all down.

Then the doctor will examine you. He will do simple tests like listening to your heart with a stethoscope and measuring your blood pressure.

If you need a catheterization or treatment, it will be done on a separate day (unless it's an emergency). Before that, your doctor will explain the procedure to you, including the benefits and possible minor risks, and how to prepare for it.