Cardiovascular Services
Interventional Cardiology
When a blocked or damaged artery requires more than medication, interventional cardiology offers catheter-based procedures that open vessels, repair valves, and restore blood flow, often without open surgery. At Richmond Heart and Vascular Associates, our board-certified interventional cardiologists perform a full range of these procedures, from routine coronary angiography to complex structural heart interventions.
Our Services
Services We Offer
Whether you have been referred for cardiac testing or are coming in with new symptoms, our board-certified cardiologists review every result personally and help you understand what they mean for your health.
Services We Offer
Cardiac Catheterization
Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic procedure used to examine the arteries and chambers of the heart. A thin, flexible tube is guided through a blood vessel in your arm or groin to the heart, where your cardiologist can measure pressures, assess blood flow, and inject contrast dye to identify blockages.
Why You Might Need One
You may need cardiac catheterization if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or abnormal results from a stress test or echocardiogram. It is also used to evaluate heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and valve disease, and is often the first step before a treatment procedure.
Services We Offer
Coronary Angioplasty and Stenting
If catheterization reveals a significantly narrowed or blocked coronary artery, angioplasty can open it. During an angioplasty, your cardiologist threads a thin catheter with a small balloon to the site of the blockage and inflates it to widen the artery. In most cases, a small metal mesh tube called a stent is placed to keep the artery open and maintain blood flow.
Why You Might Need One
This procedure, known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is commonly used to relieve chest pain caused by coronary artery disease and to restore circulation after or during a heart attack.
Services We Offer
Atherectomy
Atherectomy is a procedure that removes plaque buildup directly from the inside of an artery. Unlike angioplasty, which compresses the plaque, atherectomy uses a specialized catheter to cut or grind the material away. This approach is used when plaque is calcified or located in a way that makes standard stenting less effective.
Why You Might Need One
Your doctor may recommend atherectomy for coronary or peripheral artery blockages that have not responded well to other treatments.
Services We Offer
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Treatment
Peripheral arterial disease occurs when arteries in the legs and feet become narrowed or blocked, reducing blood flow. Symptoms include leg pain or cramping when walking, slow-healing wounds, and numbness or weakness in the lower limbs.
Catheter-Based Techniques
Our interventional team treats PAD using catheter-based techniques, including balloon angioplasty, stenting, and atherectomy, to restore circulation and relieve symptoms. Many patients experience significant improvement without the need for open vascular surgery.
Services We Offer
Renal Artery Stenting
Renal artery stenting treats narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the kidneys. When these arteries become blocked, kidney function can decline and blood pressure becomes difficult to control.
Catheter-Based Procedure
A catheter-based procedure places a stent in the narrowed segment to restore blood flow and protect kidney health.
Services We Offer
Structural Heart Procedures
Structural heart disease involves problems with the valves, walls, or chambers of the heart. Richmond Heart and Vascular Associates performs a comprehensive range of structural heart interventions through a catheter-based approach, which means no open-chest incision in most cases.
Why You Might Need One
You may need structural heart treatment if you have a leaking or narrowed valve, a hole between heart chambers, or symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue. The catheter-based approach often means a shorter recovery than traditional surgery.
Services We Offer
Procedures Performed at Our On-Site Ambulatory Surgery Center
Many of our interventional procedures are performed at our affiliated Cardiac Surgery Center. You will work with the same care team from your initial consultation through your procedure and recovery, without a hospital admission in most cases.
No Hospital Stay
Being treated in one familiar setting can ease anxiety and make scheduling simpler for you and your family. Most patients return home the same day and resume normal routines faster than after a traditional hospital stay.
Accredited testing
Accredited Services, Reliable Results
Echocardiography Accreditation
IAC-accredited echocardiography imaging for precise evaluation of heart structure and function.
Nuclear Cardiology Accreditation
IAC-accredited nuclear stress testing and myocardial perfusion imaging.
Vascular Imaging Accreditation
IAC-accredited vascular ultrasound lab for arterial and venous studies.
Richmond Heart and Vascular Associates holds accreditation in echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and vascular imaging. These accreditations are awarded by independent national organizations and are based on ongoing reviews of image quality, clinical performance, and safety standards. Every test is interpreted by one of our own board-certified cardiologists, not an outside reading service.
Why our patients choose us
Independent Care.
Coordinated from Start to Finish.
We do not outsource interpretation. The physicians reviewing your images know your history and follow up with you directly.
Independent Private Practice
More than 30 years serving Central Virginia as a trusted independent cardiology group.
Full Spectrum of Care
From prevention and testing to complex procedures — all coordinated by the same team.
On-Site Surgery Center
Many procedures completed without a hospital stay at our on-site Ambulatory Surgery Center.
Coordinated, Continuous Care
Your diagnosis and treatment managed by consistent physicians who know your history.