Interventional Cardiology

Our approach to interventional cardiology

If you have heart disease, there are more treatments than ever before — and that includes nonsurgical options. At UCI Health, our interventional cardiologists specialize in diagnosing and treating heart disease with minimally invasive, transcatheter and nonsurgical approaches. 

Interventional cardiology is a specialty that focuses on using catheter-based techniques to address heart problems. Catheters are thin, flexible tubes that we guide through your blood vessels to diagnose and treat heart diseases.  

These minimally invasive approaches have revolutionized heart care for many people who previously may have needed open-heart surgery.

Some of the benefits of interventional cardiology procedures include:

• Shorter recovery time
• Less pain
• Less time in the hospital
• Quicker return to activity

Collaborative care

Your team will work with you and other specialists to determine if interventional cardiology treatments are right for you. 

We have regular multidisciplinary meetings with other heart specialists to discuss all your treatment options. These meetings bring together interventional cardiologists, heart surgeons, structural heart specialists, echocardiographers and heart imagers, general cardiologists, cardiac anesthesiologists, radiologists and other. 

Together, our goal is to offer you the most effective treatments to improve your health and quality of life.

Why choose UCI Health for interventional cardiology?

Your partner in care

Our interventional cardiology team is by your side before, during and well after your procedure. This includes providing you with comprehensive care focused on reducing your risk factors, educating you about lifestyle changes and treatments. We’ll also connect you to support services to help you continue to maintain and improve your health.

Less pain, faster recovery

Our interventional cardiologists specialize in using the radial artery (wrist) to access your heart rather than the femoral artery (groin). Research has shown that this approach results in less pain and bleeding and, ultimately, a faster recovery.

Dedicated valve clinic

If you have valve disease, you’ll have a multidisciplinary team focused on your needs at our dedicated valve clinic. At the clinic, you’ll see an interventional cardiologist and a heart surgeon at the time same time. Together, they’ll discuss the benefits and risks of both surgical options and catheter-based approaches. This ensures you have the expert guidance you need to decide the best option for you. 

Structural heart program

If you have a structural heart condition like valve disease, our structural heart program may be right for you. In this program, our interventional cardiologists and heart surgeons work together to treat these conditions without open-heart surgery. They specialize in minimally invasive valve repair and replacement procedures, such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), Mitral or tricuspid valve repair or replacement etc. These procedures help you recover faster and decrease your risk for complications.