Boom in Invasive Cardiology
Currently, Swiss medicine is experiencing a boom in invasive cardiology due to technological advancements and its high effectiveness. Interventional or invasive cardiology is a medical specialty dedicated to operative procedures within the chambers and vessels of the heart (coronary arteries) without resorting to surgery. Invasive cardiology therapies are conducted through catheterization.
A catheter (a thin, flexible plastic tube) is inserted into the vascular system (arteries or veins) and navigated under radiological control to the cavity or artery requiring treatment.
In the past, surgical procedures in cardiology often led to morbidity and mortality, with the procedure itself posing a greater risk than the disease. With the development of state-of-the-art equipment, interventional cardiology gradually emerged, bringing along the concept of outpatient treatment without hospitalization and under local anesthesia.
Currently, more than 85% of coronary revascularizations and procedures can be done percutaneously.
Swiss universities, including Genolier clinics in Geneva (E-Vive Clinic) and Lausanne (Monshuazi Clinic), have joined the development of invasive cardiology with a team of cardiologists: Ali Basti, Alain Guidon, Stéphane Mock, Mohamed Oulhaci, Bruno Schnetzler, Henri Sunthorn, and Vitali Verin. The technical platform of the new-generation cardiovascular system allows patients to visit the clinic even without personal insurance for the treatment of a wide range of cardiovascular problems.
Key benefits of invasive cardiology for patients include:
- Smaller and less expensive interventions without general anesthesia
- Shorter hospital stays
- Significantly fewer complications
"During the procedure, we visualize images, allowing us to navigate the catheter through the labyrinth of vessels and intervene precisely in the affected area of the heart or vessels," says Dr. Verin. "We no longer rely on surgeons and can directly treat our patients, whose recovery is almost immediate.
The use of invasive cardiology also allows effective treatment of elderly patients or those unable to tolerate the necessary general anesthesia for heart surgery.
Interventional cardiology allows for replacing surgical treatment and is becoming increasingly common. Jenolle Clinic takes pride in implementing modern technologies and excellent specialists in the field: Dr. Verin (interventional cardiologist) and Dr. Santhorn (rhythm specialist). Their knowledge and experience complement each other. Such interdisciplinary collaboration, in turn, enhances the quality of services at Genolier clinics:
- Cardiology
- Interventional angiography
- Coronary angioplasty
- Vascular plastic surgery
- Stent implantation
- Intracardiac connections
- Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia represents a group of heart diseases manifested in excessive heartbeats, slow beats (bradycardia), overall heart stoppage (asystole), intermittent or excessively rapid beats (tachycardia), or synchronization between different chambers of the heart, including between the right and left ventricles.
A rhythm specialist has various interventions for treating arrhythmia, such as:
- Implantation of pacemakers to prevent heart slowing or to prevent a heart attack.
- Use of defibrillators for rapidly stopping arrhythmia.
- Cardiac resynchronization to improve symptoms and survival of patients with heart failure.
- Ablation of arrhythmias to quickly tune (remove the source of arrhythmia) radiofrequency (heat) or apply cryotherapy (cold).
Cryotherapy is currently one of the most popular methods for treating fibrillations (atrial fibrillation). It is widely accepted by the population due to its proven effectiveness and advantages. It is a simple, user-friendly, safer, and less painful method for patients.