There are three approaches when dealing with heart diseases: invasive, non-invasive, and interventional cardiology.

The difference between these three approaches explained by Dr. Dinesh Sehgal, Director Cardiology Department at Sapra Multispecialty Hospital.

Non-invasive: The non-invasive procedure usually involves external tests rather than the insertion of body fluids, needles, or other such devices to diagnose heart disorders, cardiovascular diseases, or other heart conditions. This feature usually prevents further complications of the heart. Overall, this does not include the breakdown of the skin or any part of the body. These procedures are as simple as listening to the heartbeat, being non-invasive to perform such tasks, as well as taking a pulse and blood pressure. This evaluation is also useful in cases where patients are suspected to have valve disease, chest pain or another history of heart diseases. Further conditions treated in this way are nuclear cardiology, echocardiography (to identify the pumping of blood, infection, or any structural abnormalities), cardiac electrophysiology (electric currents to produce and evaluate the heartbeat). , Treadmill stress test (how to perform one under stress). Holter – Heart monitor, echocardiogram, trans-esophageal echocardiogram, myocardial perfusion scan and CT scan (for diseases of the heart and atherosclerosis). In most of these procedures, imaging using ultrasound waves, tape recorders, or electric currents are used to monitor cardiac activity.

Invasive: It is a minimally invasive procedure to identify heart abnormalities. Such procedures are usually minor surgeries that need to be broken into the patient’s skin. These include perforation, catheterization, incision, etc. Such procedures are used in situations such as angioplasty (arteries blocked by a balloon are opened to increase blood flow) and Stenting (a stent – a thin metal needle inserted to open a vein). In addition, invasive procedures are conducted for coronary angiography, coronary artery bypass grafting, valve replacement surgery, electrophysiology, right heart catheterization, permanent pacemaker digestion, automated transplant cardiac defibrillator (ACID), for acute chest pain. The equipment used is usually laparoscopic and remote controlled for these procedures.

Interventional: The interventional cardiologists perform treatment / traditional treatments for severe cardiovascular diseases to ensure that blood is delivered to the heart later and to other parts of the body. This approach uses a small catheter used to repair arteries or vessels or other parts of the heart surrounding areas i.e. treatment of structural heart diseases. Occasionally, angioplasty and stenting may be referred to as traditional procedures because they are catheter-based and require the opening of blocked arteries. Other conditions treated by this method are coronary artery disease (narrowing of the arteries), heart valve disease (not working well in relation to blood flow), peripheral vascular disease (clogged or hardened arteries and veins), Pericardiensis, transesophageal echocardiograms, and plaques. Invasive and interventional cardiology is closely related to where cardiologists work on similar techniques to overcome a patient’s disease.

Coronary Angiography is an X-ray of the arteries in the heart. It helps in viewing how blood flows in the arteries.

How Coronary Angiography is done?

Coronary Angiography is done using a thin flexible tube called Catheter. Through the catheter, a liquid dye is injected into the desired artery. The point from where the catheter is drawn can be arm or groin. This point is cleaned and numbed with local anesthesia.  Then the hollow tube called catheter is induced into the artery and the dye injected to show the flow of blood on the X-ray. Wherever there is a blockage or narrowing blood vessel, it shows on the X-ray. The whole process took nearly 30 to 60 minutes.

In Coronary angiography, the patient is discharged from the hospital after several hours or the next day.

Precautions and Risks after Angiography:

There are some precautions that every heart patient undergone Angiography should follow.

They must take ample liquid diet to prevent dehydration and for flushing of excess dye injected during the procedure.

Do not lift heavy objects for a week if the catheter is injected through the groin.

Puncture site may be slightly bruised and have a small bump for some days.

Call the cardiologist or visit the hospital if symptoms like bleeding, new bruising or swelling, discomfort at the catheter site.

Infection, such as redness or fever, change in color of the leg or arm that was used for the procedure and Weakness or numbness in the leg or arm where the catheter was inserted.