We provide interventional cardiology procedures as follow:
This is an invasive, non-surgical diagnostic procedure that aims to study the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscles and to check the function of the main heart pumping chamber.
Why Is Cardiac Catheterisation/Coronary Angiography Needed?
This test is indicated for patients who are suspected to have narrowed coronary arteries based on
What Does It Involve?
The procedure is frequently performed via access from the artery of the wrist or the groin. The most common access site is through right radial artery at the right wrist, however the doctor may decide to access the artery from the other sites depending on the characteristics of the patient.
The access site is cleaned and sterilised followed by administration of local anaesthesia to numb the area. A thin and flexible tube is then inserted through the blood vessels into the heart under the real time x ray guidance. Injection of contrast dye is done while x ray images are taken to visualise the coronary arteries anatomy and to determine the presence of any blockages.
After the procedure the tube is removed and firm pressure is applied to access site to stop bleeding. The patient is usually monitored for several hours to ensure stability. After the procedure, some patient may experience soreness at the puncture site for a week or so. Patients are advised not to drive for at least 24 hours and to avoid strenuous activity and heavy lifting for at least 1 week.
The initial recovery period is expected to be up to 3 days or more. As this is a diagnostic procedure, there is no treatment or long term sequelae from the procedure.
Based on the coronary angiogram findings and severity, the doctor may recommend one of the following:
There is a risk of worsening of the symptoms or even a heart attack if there is a delay in confirming the diagnosis and arranging necessary intervention. Do speak to your doctors for personalised medical advice.
This procedure is an invasive, non-surgical intervention to unblock narrowed or occluded coronary arteries. It is a life saving procedure especially in the event of a heart attack.
Why Is Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty Needed?
The procedure is recommended when coronary angiography shows a significant narrowing of the coronary artery. It is commonly performed for a heart attack patient or those with anginal symptom to improve blood flow to heart muscle.
What Does It Involve?
This procedure is similar to a diagnostic coronary angiography. The access site can be either via the artery from the wrist or groin. For complex cases, more than one access site may be required.
A thin and flexible tube (Guiding catheter) is guided to the heart under fluoroscopy. Contrast dye injection is used to visualise the coronary vessels and to guide the interventional procedure. The narrowed artery is crossed using a thin wire followed by small balloon inflation to compress the plaque and widen the passage for blood flow. Very often a stent is placed at the site of blockage to keep the artery open and prevent re-narrowing. If there are multiple vessels narrowing, follow up staged angioplasty may be needed. In some cases where patients have dense calcified coronary blockages, rotational atherectomy or intravascular lithotripsy may be needed to facilitate standard angioplasty.
After the coronary angioplasty, patient is monitored for a period of time to ensure there is no immediate complication. While angioplasty is generally safe and effective, there are small risk of potential complication including, but not limited to, bleeding, blood vessels damage, stroke and allergic reaction during procedure.
In the event of coronary angioplasty and stenting is not feasible due to very complex coronary stenoses, coronary artery bypass operation may then be recommended. Your doctor will discuss the best treatment option with the patient.