Cardiac Catheterization & Interventional Cardiology
Expert cardiac catheterization laboratory
World-Class Cardiac Catheterization Care
The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) CardioVascular Institute is a world-renowned leader in cardiac catheterization. Our specialists in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine use cardiac catheterization to evaluate symptoms and treatment options for coronary and valvular heart disease.
Cardiac catheterization uses a minimally invasive approach. This means that you’ll have less downtime, quicker recovery and a reduced risk of infection after these procedures.
How Cardiac Catheterization Works
A diagnostic cardiac catheterization allows interventional cardiologists to test your heart muscle and the arteries that keep it supplied with blood. Usually very safe, cardiac catheterizations take place in a catheterization laboratory, called a cath lab for short.
Your doctor inserts a catheter (long, thin, flexible tube) through a large blood vessel (typically in the groin) that leads to your heart. The doctor injects contrast dye through the catheter. The contrast helps to create clearer X-ray images that show how the blood flows through your heart. It shows where the arteries might be narrowed or blocked.
During cardiac catheterization, your doctor also may take these steps:
- Evaluate the pressure in your heart’s chambers
- Examine the ability of your heart chambers to contract when they pump blood
- Examine your heart valves and chambers
- Measure the oxygen content of your blood
Depending on what the doctors find, we also may perform a percutaneous coronary intervention. During this procedure, we open up and repair blocked arteries.
CardioVascular Institute Cardiac Cath Suite
Our cardiac catheterization suite includes four fully digital, flat-screen cath labs and a hybrid operating room/cath lab. This enables our doctors and surgeons to collaborate on complex, hybrid electrophysiology and coronary procedures.
Each cath lab has state-of-the-art hemodynamic imaging equipment to study the flow of your blood. Our digital cath labs provide higher resolution imaging at lower radiation doses. This helps during these procedures:
- Coronary angiography (procedure to open up blocked arteries)
- Stent placement (surgical tube that holds open blocked arteries)
- Other complex and common cardiac procedures
More About Cardiac Catheterization & Interventional Cardiology
Interventional cardiologists perform a full range of procedures in our cath lab:
- Atrial septal defect (ASD) closure — surgical repair of a congenital (present at birth) heart defect
- Cardiac ablation
- Catheter-based structural heart and valve procedures, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
- Chronic total occlusion (CTO)
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
- Complex conventional angioplasty
- Coronary atherectomy — removal of plaque from blocked arteries
- Coronary stent placement — placement of surgical tube that holds open blocked arteries
- Diagnostic catheterization — procedure to diagnose heart or vascular conditions
- Directional and rotational atherectomy — removal of plaque from blocked arteries
- Endomyocardial biopsy — removal of small amount of heart tissue for analysis in the laboratory
- Ethanol septal ablation — injection of alcohol that shrinks thickened heart tissue, leading to improved blood flow
- Intravascular ultrasound
- Peripheral vascular procedures — use of catheters to treat blood vessel conditions outside the heart and brain
- Transcatheter patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure —surgical repair of a congenital (present at birth) heart defect
- Watchman device placement
Aortic Balloon Valvuloplasty
During the procedure, the doctor guide a catheter (thin, flexible tube) to the heart through an artery in the groin. We inflate a small balloon at the end of the catheter to open the narrow aorta.
Mitral Valvuloplasty
The doctor widens a narrowed mitral valve by guiding a catheter to the heart through an artery in the groin. We inflate a small balloon at the end of the catheter.
Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair
Transcatheter mitral valve repair is a non-surgical procedure. The doctor guides a clip to the mitral valve through a catheter that we’ve inserted into an artery in the groin. The clip (called MitraClip) reduces mitral regurgitation (backflow of blood through the damaged mitral valves). If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications including heart failure or heart rhythm problems.
Paravalvular Leak Closure
Paravalvular leak closure repairs a leaky valve that a surgeon previously replaced. A doctor can do the closure surgically or through a non-surgical, interventional procedure. During the intervention, the doctor inserts a catheter into an artery in the groin to access the site of the leak.
Our researchers are continually discovering new treatments for people with cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular clinical trials offer you access to the latest and emerging treatment options — often before they’re available at other cardiovascular centers.
More than 30% of interventional patients are currently enrolled in research studies for the evaluation of new stents and other technologies. Speak with your doctor to learn if you may qualify for a clinical trial.
Advancing Care, Research & Education
CardioVascular Institute
The CardioVascular Institute offers heart and vascular patient care, education opportunities for students, and a range of research programs.
Cardiovascular Research
Our Cardiovascular Research programs are dedicated to advancing cardiovascular care through scientific research, clinical trials and data analysis.
Cardiovascular Education
The CardioVascular Institute offers comprehensive education and training programs for healthcare professionals, including fellowships and residencies.
