Interventional Cardiology | WVU Heart and Vascular Institute

Interventional cardiologists use non-surgical techniques usually by running a catheter through the arteries into and around the heart to repair the blockages that cut off the flow of blood in and out of the heart. Our cardiologists perform angioplasties, in which a balloon attached to the catheter clears the arteries, and are also experienced in the use of stents. In addition to traditional stents, WVU uses drug-eluting stents, which deliver medication directly to the site of the blockage.

At the WVU Heartand Vascular Institute, we perform between 1,500 to 1,800 angioplasties and stent placements annually.

For a heart attack patient, door to balloon is the time from arrival at the hospital until the start of balloon angioplasty. The national goal for door to balloon is 90 minutes. The WVU Heartand Vascular Institute far exceeds that goal.

We have the doctors, technology, and facilities, including our cardiac labs, to make a rapid diagnosis and take quick, effective action 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Weve refined our coordination and teamwork to a science.

Treatments/procedures performed at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute include:

Radial Artery Access Cardiac CatheterizationWVU Heart and Vascular Institute interventional cardiologists offer radial artery access, a cardiac catheterization technique that uses arteries in the wrist to reach the heart.

Radial artery wrist access allows for the same tests and procedures as other catheterization methods for diagnosing and treating coronary artery disease, with increased benefit over traditional femoral artery (groin) access.

The advantages of using the radial artery as an access point include:

Women, older, or obese patients may especially benefit from radial artery access.

For an appointment, visit our appointment information page, or call 855-WVU-CARE (855-988-2273).

The WVU Heart and Vascular Institute is one of the first in the country and the only one in West Virginia to introduce new technology shown to protect patients from the risk of stroke during minimally invasive heart valve surgery, known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

TAVR is a relatively new approach to treating aortic stenosis. During the procedure, a team consisting of interventional cardiologists and a cardiac surgeon makes a small incision in the groin area and replaces the valve via a catheter. This technology enables our physicians to open arteries that were inaccessible just a few years ago. By replacing the valve via catheter through the femoral artery, it allows us to help those patients who are not candidates for open heart surgery. This approach is especially beneficial to patients who are not deemed to be ideal candidates for open heart surgery.

The WVU Heart and Vascular Institute is one of the few programs in the United States (and the only one in West Virginia) offering cerebral embolic protection during TAVR called Protected TAVR.

The majority of patients undergoing TAVR have severe valvular calcifications and frail plaque materials on the aorta. These materials can be dislodged during the procedure and may then travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

Because of this, the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute implemented protected TAVR using the Sentinel Cerebral Protection System, the first FDA-cleared device available in the U.S. to capture and remove this debris before it reaches the brain. The device has been shown to reduce strokes by 63 percent during the procedure and in the first 72 hours after it, when most strokes occur.

In a protected TAVR procedure, the Sentinel system is delivered first via a small tube inserted through a small puncture in the right wrist. Using a catheter, two filters are placed in the two main arteries between the heart and brain. Those filters collect debris throughout the procedure, preventing it from traveling to the brain. When the procedure is complete, the filters and collected debris are removed from the patient.

Since the Sentinel Cerebral Protection System was recently made available to the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, we have employed it routinely in every patient undergoing TAVR. In most cases, we can predict the ability to position the Sentinel system from a CT scan obtained routinely before the TAVR procedure.

The initial clinical trial of the device included 19 centers across the U.S. and Germany and showed that it captured debris in 99 percent of TAVR cases. The device was then made available to 10 additional sites, of which the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute is one.

For more information about TAVR or Protected TAVR procedures, or to schedule an appointment, visit our appointment information page, call 855-WVU-CARE (855-988-2273), or find a doctor.

The WVU Heart and Vascular Institutes Structural Heart Disease Program is a leader in managing structural heart diseases, providing cutting edge surgical and transcatheter therapies for these complex conditions.

We have a multidisciplinary team of experts including interventional cardiologists, cardiac and vascular surgeons, dedicated nursing staff, and other specialists to ensure our patients receive the most comprehensive care available. We also have technology and the most state-of-the-art facility in the region, including brand new cardiac cath labs and hybrid operating rooms, to make a rapid diagnosis and take quick, effective action.

Structural heart disease refers to a defect or abnormality of the heart that is not related to the coronary arteries (the hearts valves, walls, or chambers). The condition can be present at birth (congenital), or these abnormalities can also form later in life due to wear and tear from aging, infection, or result from another underlying condition.

The most common types of structural heart disease are:

For more information about the WVU Heart and Vascular Institutes Structural Heart Disease Program, visit our appointment information page, or call 855-WVU-CARE (855-988-2273).

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Interventional Cardiology | WVU Heart and Vascular Institute