Interventional Cardiology

If you live with certain types of heart disease, you may receive treatment from interventional cardiologists at OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute and its network of clinics. These specialists treat arteries, valves and holes in heart tissue in a minimally invasive way. That means you benefit from:

Faster recovery than after surgery
Shorter hospital stay
Less pain and scarring
Lower risk of complications (side effects)
Less anesthesia

How Cardiology Interventions Work

Interventional treatments use catheters — soft, thin tubes placed in a blood vessel. A cardiologist uses the tube to move tiny tools or devices up to your heart to repair a problem. Your doctor doesn’t need to open your chest during these procedures. You’ll have only a small incision over a blood vessel in your upper thigh or your wrist.

Radial (Wrist) Access Shortens Recovery Time

When possible, our cardiologists use your wrist’s radial artery as the catheter’s entry point. Radial access lets you get up and moving again sooner after catheterization than the usual approach, which enters through the femoral artery in your upper thigh.

Cath Labs in Central and Northern Illinois

You or your loved one receive cardiology interventions in a catheterization (cath) lab at:

Interventional Treatment Options

Explore the wide range of procedures you can access at OSF Cardiovascular Institute and its network of clinics.

Opening Blocked Arteries

Interventional cardiologists most often treat coronary artery disease (clogged blood vessels). You might hear the term “percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)” in reference to the type of treatment you receive. PCI includes:

Angioplasty – Inflates a tiny balloon and places a stent (tube) to widen a blocked artery and help prevent or treat a heart attack
Atherectomy – Uses a tiny blade or laser to break up hard calcium deposits in blood vessels
Shockwave therapy – Sends out sound waves to crack built-up calcium in your arteries

If your heart is weak, your doctor can use a small Impella heart pump to keep blood flowing during your procedure.

Repairing Heart Defects

You or your child may need one of these interventions that treat a heart problem present at birth:

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure (available in Peoria) – Seals off a blood vessel that doesn’t close as it should in premature newborns
Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure (available in Urbana) – Plugs a hole in heart tissue to prevent blood clots from traveling to the brain and causing a stroke

Learn more about services for congenital heart disease at OSF HealthCare.

Treating Heart Valves

Four valves control the flow of blood through your heart. If a valve narrows, stiffens or doesn’t close all the way, you may need treatment from an interventional cardiologist. This physician places a small device in damaged valves to help them work better after a diagnosis of aortic stenosis or mitral valve prolapse. Learn more about heart valve [link to new valve care page] treatment at OSF Cardiovascular Institute and its network of clinics.

Ask for a Referral

Ask your primary care doctor to refer you to an interventional cardiologist with OSF Cardiovascular Institute and its network of clinics. Need a primary care provider? Browse our directory.