Interventional cardiology is a branch of cardiology that deals specifically with the catheter-based treatment of structural heart diseases. Interventional cardiology is a non-surgical option that uses a catheter – a small, flexible tube – to repair damaged or weakened vessels, narrowed arteries, or other affected parts of the heart structure. A large number of procedures can be performed on the heart by catheterization. The main advantages of using the interventional cardiology or radiology approach are the avoidance of the scars and pain and long post-operative recovery. Additionally, the interventional cardiology procedure of primary angioplasty is now the gold standard of care for acute myocardial infarction.
