Invasive cardiovascular procedures:
An invasive procedure is one in which the body is "invaded" or entered by a needle, tube, device, or scope. When it is not possible to attain results through a non-invasive procedure, we must rely on one that is invasive. These include:
- Coronary angiography: a procedure that uses a special dye (contrast material) and x-rays to see how blood flows through your heart.
- Cardiac catheterization (low risk): is used to study the various functions of the heart or to obtain diagnostic information about the heart or its vessels. A small puncture is made in an artery or vein in the thigh or the arm. The catheter is then threaded through the artery or vein into the heart. X-ray images called fluoroscopy are used to guide the insertion. When the catheter is in place, dye is injected to visualize the structures and vessels within the heart.
- Peripheral Vascular Angioplasty: a medical procedure in which a balloon is used to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels of the peripheral vascular system.
- Stents: a stent is a tiny metal or plastic tube that is placed into an artery, blood vessel, or other duct to hold the structure open, thus restoring circulation.
- Vascular surgery: a procedure used to treat arteries that become blocked through a process called atherosclerosis, which means hardening of the arteries. Yes but all vascular surgeons community as well as tertiary should be included on that web site.