L J Ravi While the number of cardiac ailments in India is on an exponential rise attributing to a plethora of factors, so are the advancements made in this field. Poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity, lack of awareness about the symptoms and available treatment modules are some of the most common factors influencing the rising mortality and morbidity rate in the country due to heart ailments. Interventional cardiology that refers to the procedures done with minimally invasive percutaneous processes, is a latent field which has developed leaps and bounds in the last decade. Such interventions not only allow the patients a quicker recovery time but also reduces the hospital stay along with preserving the aesthetic and functional outcomes with efficacy. In the recent years, many patients with different facets of Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been highly benefited through the treatment done via interventional cardiology, and avoided a possible casualty says Dr. Balbir Singh, Chairman, Cardiac Sciences, Max Hospital, Saket. The inception of Intervention cardiology Since the inception of this subspecialty, technological innovations have played the most critical role in shaping and labelled it as the most cutting edge and transformative field known till today. As a resultant of collaborations between the medical fraternity, community and technology, these developments have brought about substantial advancements in the treatment of patients with CVD, providing less-invasive alternatives and in some cases hope in the fight against disease that would have otherwise been unavailable. The latest advancements are also helpful in determining the functional significance in some tricky situations which otherwise would be seemingly borderline, such advanced procedures not only help in treating the patients effectively, but also improves their quality of life. The initial phases saw development of coronary angioplasty and stenting which has now become a procedure which the community is confident about. Precision Coronary Angioplasty – In collaboration with Columbia University, New York, Max Hospital, Saket, New Delhi is the first to introduce and implement the protocols of precision Coronary Angioplasty. With the available technical expertise for performing even the most complex cases, the Hospital has showcased a success rate of over 95%. Recently the Hospital treated the First Indian case using the procedure of precision angioplasty with advanced Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging technique. The patient suffered a severe heart attack due to a complex arterial blockage, which otherwise would have cost her life. but in synchronisation with the OCT technique, the precision of stenting had also improved the outcomes with a better quality of life. With detailed information of the arteries and with a lot of in-depth understanding this advanced procedure could lead to much better outcomes in patients undergoing coronary stenting. Structural Heart Interventions – This is one of the most attracted dimensions to have been attracted. The procedure that involves valve replacements under local anaesthesia with no cut or incision marks on the body has received a lot of importance in the hospital and is an area which will add new dimensions while entering into the New year 2021. Heart Rhythm Management (Electrophysiology) – Being the leaders in the management of Heart rhythm disorders, with several cutting-edge technological procedures and many Internationally recognised areas of work, the Cardiac Centre has cured the disease to many patients. The word cure is rare in medicine and to give cure to a difficult problem indeed does make us feel proud. Collaboration and a combined approach to patient care are evolving on many fronts. The historic approach of providing a service independent or irrespective of what else is going on in the patient care continuum is a thing of the past. As such, the traditional relationship between patient, primary physician and subspecialist coming together and providing compassionate and comprehensive care should be the goal. Greater alignment and working more closely together will result in better patient care, greater efficiencies and ultimately take cost out of the system.
