Interventional Cardiology

Dr Thakersee focuses on interventional cardiology. Interventional cardiology consists of minimally invasive procedures to test, diagnose and treat heart problems. Interventional cardiology includes procedures such as coronary angiography, right and left heart catheterization studies, angioplasty and stent, atherectomy, primary angioplasty as an emergency service, haemodynamic assessment - fractional flow reserve (FFR) and Imaging techniques such as intra-vascular ultrasound.

Coronary angiography – coronary angiography is a procedure that uses a special dye or contrast material and X-rays to see how blood flows through the arteries in the heart.

Right and left heart catheterization - right heart study uses catheterization, which entails having a long, thin flexible tube inserted into the blood vessel through an incision in the groin, to see how well or how poorly the heart is pumping, and to measure the pressures in the heart and lungs. Left heart studies are done to diagnose or treat certain heart problems. Different tiny instruments can be inserted and other procedures can be done at the same time.

Atherectomy is a minimally invasive endovascular surgery technique for removing atherosclerosis from blood vessels within the body. It is an alternative to angioplasty. Atherosclerosis is the name given to describe the build-up of fats, cholesterol calcium and other cellular debris in and on the artery walls. The fatty part is referred to as plaque. This plaque can restrict blood flow, or it can crack or burst, triggering the formation of a blood clot as the body tries to repair the damaged artery wall. Although atherosclerosis is often considered a heart problem, it can affect arteries anywhere in your body. Atherosclerosis presents as chest pain and can cause a heart attack, stroke or angina.

Primary angioplasty or thrombolysis as an emergency service – a primary angioplasty is a procedure that re-opens a blocked coronary artery. Thrombolysis is a medicine that is administered to dissolve a blood clot that is blocking a coronary artery.

Imaging Tests – including intra-vascular ultrasound, which is a specially designed catheter with a miniature ultrasound probe that uses sound waves to see inside blood vessels.