Interventional Cardiology

About our Interventional Cardiology department

The prevention clinics at Oklahoma Heart Institute identify and aggressively treat the risk factors known to promote the development of heart attacks and strokes. In the area of diagnosis, Oklahoma Heart Institute has the region’s most complete and sophisticated noninvasive imaging program, including advanced cardiovascular MRI, CT, ultrasound, and nuclear imaging tests.

Oklahoma Heart Institute cardiologists were the first in Oklahoma to utilize the Impella percutaneous circulatory assist device to treat very high-risk patients with severe blockages of the blood vessels to their heart. Our invasive cardiologists were the first in Tulsa to percutaneously close holes in the heart (PFO and ASD) in adults, eliminating the need for heart surgery. In addition, Oklahoma Heart invasive cardiologists pioneered the establishment of a hypothermia program in Tulsa to improve the chance of neurologic recovery in patients suffering from cardiac arrest.

Oklahoma Heart Institute are field leaders in interventional structural heart care, venous thrombotic disease including pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, ECMO, and peripheral vascular procedures.

In addition, the cardiologists at Oklahoma Heart Institute have been involved in pioneering research in the field of cardiology for over 20 years. This provides patients access to new treatment options that normally would not be available for years. Quality, precision, advancements, results – there is a reason nobody does it better than Oklahoma Heart Institute’s cardiology division.

Interventional cardiology procedures

Interventional heart procedures use a nonsurgical technique involving catheters – thin, flexible tubes – to treat the heart, its arteries, and blood vessels. We offer the following minimally invasive heart procedures:

• Atherectomy
• Cardiac catheterization
• Carotid artery stents
• Circulatory support
• Coronary angioplasty
• Coronary stents
• Fractional flow reserve
• Intravascular ultrasound
• Multivessel angioplasty and stenting
• Myocardial biopsy
• Non-surgical heart valve repair and replacement
• Non-surgical closure of congenital heart defects
• Therapeutic hypothermia for cardiac arrest
• Peripheral angioplasty
• Peripheral stents
• Rotablator atherectomy
• Thrombolytic therapy

If you require a more traditional heart procedure, our general cardiologists are available to help. We also offer cardiac rehabilitation services should you require further care after your procedure.

LDL apheresis

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance that exists in every cell in our bodies. Two types of cholesterol exist in our bodies: high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is considered “good cholesterol,” and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as “bad cholesterol.” If we get too much cholesterol in our blood, large deposits of LDL collect in our arteries. This increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease.

At the Oklahoma Heart Institute, our physicians use state-of-the-art technology to provide comprehensive cholesterol treatment. Our team uses LDL apheresis, a cholesterol removal procedure, to manage cholesterol in individuals with a high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in their bloodstream. LDL apheresis is a nonsurgical, blood-cleansing therapy that involves filtering a patient’s blood using apheresis technology. The LDL removal procedure, which is similar to dialysis, separates the cholesterol from the plasma before returning the plasma to the body. It provides a potentially life-saving reduction in the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease.

LDL apheresis can help manage cholesterol in individuals that meet the following criteria:

• LDL level of above 200 mg/dL for individuals with coronary heart disease
• LDL level of above 300 mg/dL for individuals without coronary heart disease
• Inadequate response to at least six months of diet, exercise and the maximum dosage of cholesterol-lowering prescription medications
• Cholesterol levels may be successfully lowered by 73 to 83 percent

It takes four hours to filter the cholesterol from the blood, and patients undergo the procedure as many as four times per month. Please call us to learn more about LDL apheresis.

Cardiac stenting

When the arteries leading to the heart become blocked with cholesterol or other substances, blood flow to the heart is limited – often resulting in chest pain and even a heart attack. This blockage often can be reduced using one of the following non-surgical techniques:

• Balloon angioplasty uses a long, thin flexible tube called a catheter to reach the affected areas of the heart. Once in place, a balloon attached to the end of the catheter is inflated, flattening the blockage against the artery wall and improving blood flow. The balloon is then deflated and removed. Patients are lightly sedated during the procedure and most are discharged from the hospital within 24 hours or less.
• Coronary stenting involves the use of a small, mesh-like tube to open blockages in the arteries and prevent them from narrowing again. The stent is placed on a balloon-tipped catheter and inserted into the body – usually through the groin – and moved until it reaches the affected area of the heart. When the balloon is inflated the stent locks into place and forms a scaffold to prop the artery open. This allows improved blood flow to and from the heart. Within a few weeks of the procedure, the inside lining of the artery grows over the stent’s metal surface. Stents are sometimes coated with a medication that slowly releases into the bloodstream to help prevent the vessel from reclosing.

Interventional Cardiology Locations