Diagnostic and interventional cardiology

Dignity Health Medical Foundation’s cardiologists use the latest digital technology to provide patients with an accurate evaluation of their heart’s function and health.

Diagnostic cardiologists develop treatment plans tailored to each individual patient’s needs and diagnosis. Among the diagnostic procedures offered by our team of diagnostic cardiologists:

• Intravascular ultrasound: This type of ultrasound looks for plaques, blood clots or other blood flow problems in the arteries

• Echocardiography: An echocardiogram is a painless imaging test used to help your doctor evaluate your heart’s structure and function

• Cardiac stress testing: This procedure tests your heart’s ability to respond to stress (exercise) in a controlled, clinical environment

• Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Considered the gold standard for evaluation of left and right ventricular structure and function, Cardiac MRI is a painless procedure that uses radio waves, magnets and digital technology to create detailed pictures of the heart

Dignity Health Medical Foundation’s interventional cardiologists are all Fellowship-trained, providing a comprehensive array of interventional treatments for a variety of cardiovascular conditions.

Interventional procedures are typically minimally invasive, catheter-based treatments used to treat both cardiac and vascular conditions throughout the body. Compared to more invasive procedures, minimally invasive treatments typically lead to quicker and easier recoveries. Among the treatments offered by our team of interventional cardiologists:

• Angioplasty: Coronary angioplasty is used to improve blood flow to the heart by opening arteries in the heart and peripheral angioplasty, which uses a similar procedure to open blockages in arteries in peripheral arteries, which carry blood to the limbs.

• Aortic aneurysm repair: Catheter-based, minimally invasive procedures using stents to treat both abdominal aortic aneurysms and thoracic aortic aneurysms.

• Catheter ablation: A catheter-based electrophysiology procedure used to treat arrhythmia problems.

• Coronary stent placement: A catheter-based procedure that places a wire mesh stent in the coronary artery to prevent narrowing and improve blood flow.

• Radial artery access: A cardiac catheterization procedure that involves accessing the patient’s coronary arteries through the radial artery in the wrist, rather than through the femoral artery in the groin. This advanced technique offers patients quicker recovery and less discomfort.