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Invasive or interventional cardiology is the practice of using a catheter to treat structural heart diseases. Procedures include:
Angioplasty
The widening of an obstructed blood vessel with a special, tightly folded balloon
Valvuloplasty
The widening of a narrowed heart valve without requiring open heart surgery
Congenital Heart Disease Procedures
Repairing ventricular or atrial septal defects, occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus, angioplasty of great vessels
Coronary Thrombectomy
Removing blood clots from blood vessels
Coronary Stents
A special metal tube inserted to widen a blood vessel
EECP
Enhanced External Counterpulsation, or EECP, is a series of non-invasive treatment sessions for angina. Long inflatable cuffs are wrapped around the patient’s legs, and are inflated and deflated with each heartbeat with the help of a computer. This has the effect of both increasing blood flow to the heart and reducing stress on the heart muscle.
EKG
An electrocardiogram, also known as EKG or ECG, is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. It can be highly effective at detecting and locating the source of heart problems.
Electrical signals from the brain cause the heart to contract, allowing it to pump blood through the body. An EKG can measure the speed of the heart beating, whether the rhythm is steady or irregular, and the strength of the electrical signals as they move within the heart.
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