Subspecialty in Angioplasty and Structural Heart Interventions
This field encompasses all therapeutic cardiovascular interventions related to coronary and peripheral artery stenosis and blockages. Additionally, it includes advanced non-surgical treatments for congenital heart defects and valvular disorders.
What is an Angioplasty Fellowship?
An angioplasty fellowship is a specialized training program designed to help cardiovascular surgeons enhance their expertise and skills in angioplasty. Angioplasty is a surgical procedure aimed at repairing and improving coronary arteries. This process involves opening narrowed or blocked arteries to facilitate better blood flow to the heart.
During the fellowship, surgeons receive both practical and theoretical training on various angioplasty techniques. Utilizing advanced methods such as balloon angioplasty and stenting, they work to open narrowed arteries and improve blood circulation. This fellowship requires significant experience and exceptional technical skills to perform these procedures effectively.
An angioplasty fellowship is highly valuable for cardiovascular surgeons aspiring to specialize in this field. It equips them with the necessary experience and expertise to perform angioplasty and deliver top-tier cardiac care to their patients.
Structural Heart Interventions
Structural heart interventions refer to a collection of surgical and imaging techniques used to repair and correct structural defects in the heart. These procedures leverage advanced technologies and innovative techniques to treat heart defects through non-invasive or minimally invasive methods, replacing traditional open-heart surgeries.
Structural heart interventions include a variety of procedures tailored to the specific needs of the patient. Some common interventions are:
Structural Heart Repairs:
This process involves repairing and correcting structural heart defects, such as holes in the heart walls, stenoses, or tears in the valves.
Structural Heart Replacements:
This method replaces damaged parts of the heart’s structure using advanced imaging and modern technologies, such as replacing the aortic valve, mitral valve, and more.
Balloon Angioplasty:
In this technique, a balloon mounted on a catheter is temporarily inserted into the heart arteries, inflated to open narrowed arteries, and then deflated and removed.
Stent Placement:
Stents (small metal tubes) are inserted into the heart arteries to keep them open and improve blood flow.
Structural heart interventions are a less invasive alternative to open-heart surgeries, with lower risks and quicker recovery times. They are an ideal option for patients who cannot tolerate traditional open-heart surgery.
