Cardiac Interventions Specialist

What is interventional cardiology?

Interventional cardiologists specialize in minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and repair heart problems. They perform these procedures using a small incision to gain access to a blood vessel in your groin, wrist, or another part of your body.

After making an incision, they use real-time X-ray imaging to guide a narrow catheter through the blood vessels to your heart. Then they use various specialized devices inserted through the catheter to perform procedures to repair your heart problem.

When do I need cardiac intervention?

Dr. Siva of Sunshine Cardiovascular & Vein may perform an elective interventional procedure to diagnose the cause of symptoms of a heart problem, such as:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Rapid, slow, or irregular heartbeat
• Swollen legs

After making a diagnosis, he often repairs the problem at the same time. Dr. Siva also performs emergency cardiac intervention for patients who enter the emergency department suffering from a heart attack.

What type of cardiac intervention might I receive?

Dr. Siva performs many types of procedures to repair a wide range of heart conditions. These are a few examples of cardiac interventions he frequently performs, most of which occur in the hospital:

Diagnostic cardiac catheterization

After guiding a catheter to your heart, Dr. Siva injects a dye and uses X-ray imaging to see the dye flow through your coronary arteries. The dye reveals the location of arterial blockages.

If Dr. Siva discovers multiple blockages, you may need to have bypass surgery. Otherwise, he clears the blockage with balloon angioplasty and stenting.

Balloon angioplasty and stenting

After diagnosing a blocked coronary artery, Dr. Siva threads a wire through the blockage and advances a balloon over the wire. He inflates the balloon, which opens the blockage and makes room for a stent and then you may need to lie still for 6 hours. Sometimes the puncture site in the femoral artery can be closed with a plug and you may be able to get up sooner in 2 hrs .

A stent is a mesh-like device that Dr. Siva inserts into the newly opened artery. The stent stays in place, holding the artery open. After about a year, the inner lining covers the stent, and it becomes part of the blood vessel.

Some stents have a medication coating that prevents blood clotting and keeps the artery open for a long time. You also need to take two antiplatelet drugs, aspirin, and other medications such as Plavix®, Effient®, or Brillinta®. You stay on these medications for at least a year to prevent clotting within the stent.

Angioplasty and stenting take about two hours, and then you need to lie still for six hours. However, most patients go home the same day.

Radial catheterizations

Dr. Siva specializes in radial catheterizations where a guiding catheter is inserted through the wrist in selected cases to the heart . Diagnostic catheterizations and coronary stenting can be performed through this approach.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)

Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve is narrowed or blocked. As a result, the flow of oxygenated blood into your body. Dr. Siva refers patients out for a TAVR procedure to implant an aortic valve that restores blood flow.

After a TAVR procedure, you need to rest in bed for 2-4 hours, and you’re discharged the next day. Some patients may need open-heart surgery to replace the valve.

Mitral valve repair

If the heart’s mitral valve leaks, a condition called mitral regurgitation, Dr. Siva refers patients to have the valve and inserts a clip to support the valve. This procedure takes a few hours to complete.

We are located in 5340 Gulf Drive, Suite 101, New Port Richey, FL 34652. Call us to book your appointment today.