The Role of Interventional Cardiology in Emergency Cardiac Care
Interventional cardiology plays an essential role in emergency cardiovascular medicine, providing life-saving procedures for conditions such as acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), life-threatening arrhythmias, and unstable angina. In emergency settings, time is a critical factor, and the speed with which interventional cardiology teams can restore blood flow or stabilize cardiac function often determines a patient’s survival and long-term recovery.
One of the most critical procedures in emergency cardiology is primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). When a coronary artery becomes completely blocked, the heart muscle begins to suffer irreversible damage within minutes. Primary PCI—performed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory—reopens the artery by removing or compressing the obstructing clot, often with the placement of a stent. Research consistently shows that PCI is the most effective treatment for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), reducing mortality and improving long-term outcomes when performed promptly.
To support rapid treatment, many hospitals maintain 24/7 interventional cardiology teams…




