Interventional Cardiology
Interventional cardiovascular medicine involves opening blocked arteries of the heart, kidneys, leg or brain with non-surgical techniques.
This can involve catheterization, balloon angioplasty, atherectomy (removing plaque from a blood vessel) or stenting (inserting a mesh tube into a blood vessel).
At UC San Diego Health System, our board-certified interventional cardiovascular specialists perform more than 1,000 cardiovascular and structural heart disease interventions annually.
Conditions We Treat
Advanced Diagnostics
Our sophisticated imaging capabilities enable us to quickly and accurately diagnose coronary and peripheral artery disease and determine treatment options. Imaging technologies include:
In addition:
- We have consistently low "door-to-balloon" times, or the time it takes for a lifesaving procedure during a severe heart attack. Our most recent average time of under 60 minutes beats the national benchmark of 90 minutes. Read more.
- As a STEMI Receiving Center, our paramedics can consult with us while transporting a patient directly to the cath lab. Our cath lab procedural outcomes consistent place us in the top 2 percent of cardiac cath labs in the country. Read more.
- We were the first in San Diego County to use an FDA-approved carotid stent to prevent stroke, and currently perform a variety of procedures using stents and other devices to open blocked arteries and restore blood flow. Our team performs the highest volume of these types of procedures in the county.
Procedures We Perform
Video: An interventional cardiology patient's experience
Joan, an accomplished pianist, almost gave up her passion for the instrument because of an undiagnosed heart condition. Drs. Lori Daniels and Ehtisham Mahmud helped her get back to normal activity, including making beautiful music.