Cardiology

Swedish cardiologists provide comprehensive clinical services in coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, neurovascular disease, arrhythmia, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy and congenital heart disease. Cardiologists are doctors who specialize in treating illnesses and conditions of the cardiovascular system: the heart, blood vessels and veins. If your primary care physician detects a potential cardiovascular problem, you may be referred to a cardiologist for more detailed diagnosis and treatment. A cardiologist will then perform tests to determine if any problems exist with your heart, arteries and veins and devise a treatment plan.

Heart Services & Treatments Heart Disease Interventional Cardiology

Heart Services & Treatments

At Swedish, patients have access to the latest interventional technologies, which include:

Comprehensive heart failure management
Coronary artery intervention, including stents
Carotid artery angiography and stenting
Percutaneous valve repair/replacement
Percutaneous abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
Percutaneous patent foramen ovale/atrial septal defect repair
Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion device in atrial fibrillation patients
Percutaneous treatment of coronary/peripheral chronic total occlusions
Cardiovascular risk factor management and prevention
Implantation and management of pacemakers, defibrillator (ICDs) and resynchronization (CRT) devices
Electrophysiology studies
Catheter ablation of all arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia
Device extraction

Types of cardiology providers

Cardiologists examine patients and order tests to diagnose, treat and prevent heart problems.
Interventional cardiologists undergo one to three years of additional training after the three-year residency, and can perform more advanced surgeries.
Electrophysiology cardiologists specializes in the electrical stimulus to the heart.

Heart Disease

Are you at risk for heart disease?

Maybe one of your siblings had bypass surgery at an early age or one of your parents had a heart attack. Or maybe you’ve had worrisome symptoms and haven’t gotten a clear explanation for them. A new – and smart – trend in health care is that more people are seeking the advice of a cardiologist before something bad happens.

Heart disease includes rhythm abnormalities and structural problems of the heart. But the most common type is coronary artery disease – a buildup of plaque in the arteries of the heart.

While coronary artery disease remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States, it doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Our cardiologists can evaluate your risk and show you ways to minimize that risk. If you are diagnosed with coronary artery disease, our cardiologists are experts in the treatments and techniques that can help you live a long and healthy life. Talk to someone or make an appointment: 206-215-4545.

Hear from our expert

Watch Peter Casterella, MD, cardiologist at the Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute, as he shares important information on coronary artery disease including how to prevent and manage risk factors. He also explains how heart disease is diagnosed and treated.

Interventional Cardiology

Many conditions that formerly required open-heart surgery can now be treated with nonsurgical interventional procedures which use techniques and technologies that typically minimize pain, risk and recovery time.

Our roster of specialists includes the nation’s preeminent expert in minimally invasive heart-valve repair and replacement, and Swedish also serves as a West Coast training center on these leading-edge interventional techniques. In addition, we’re one of only a few centers nationwide to use wrist catheterizations to detect blockages, deploy stents and perform angiograms.

Treatments include: