Department of Interventional Cardiology

MUDr. Viliam Fridrich, PhD., Consultant of the Department of Interventional Cardiology
Elena Rothová, Head nurse of the Department of Interventional Cardiology

DIC has a long-standing tradition connected with the cardiac catheterization since its beginnings in Slovakia 50 years ago. Nowadays 15 to 20 patients are examined daily in two cath-labs. Patients from the department of general cardiology, coronary care unit and the department of arrhythmia and clinical electrophysiology are examined here, as well as patients from Clinics of Heart and/or Vascular Surgery.

DIC provides an extensive spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutical catheterizations. Left-sided and right-sided heart catheterizations, selective coronary angiographies, and left and right ventriculographies are performed. Transseptal catheterization, measurement of minute volume by the thermodilution method and measurement of severity of coronary artery stenosis by the fraction flow reserve method also belongs to the arsenal of diagnostic methods.

Coronary angioplasties with or without stent implantation are the therapeutical procedures mostly performed, as well as direct coronary aterectomy. DIC is the only centre in Slovakia that performs percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty in mitral stenosis patients (30-50 patients per year). In patients with congenital heart diseases, ostium secundum atrial septal defects are closed by the Amplatz occluder as well as patent ductus arteriosus. In patients with pulmonary stenosis, the pulmonary valves are dilated. The method of septal alcohol ablation was recently introduced in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with obstruction of left-ventricular outflow tract. In patients with renovascular hypertension narrowed renal arteries are dilatated and in patients with pulmonary embolism caval filters are placed. DIC cooperates closely with Department of Heart Transplantation of NICVD in monitoring of transplant rejection .There are about 250 endomyocardial biopsies performed per year. Since 2001 there has been 24-hour emergency service for patients with acute MI with ST-segment elevation.

There are 2,500 to 3,000 heart catheterizations performed in one year. Annual number of coronary angioplasties is about 450.

DIC is active in research programs. It participates in government research projects as well as in international multi-center studies. Employees of DIC are active in publishing in Slovak as well as international journals.