Cardiovascular Medicine

Videos

Watch Mayo Clinic cardiologists and others discuss many conditions and treatments related to cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular surgery.

The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Mayo Clinic has been active for more than 50 years. Our doctors are continually researching and innovating to advance the diagnosis and treatment of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) diseases.

The staff in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory works closely with other specialty areas and offers treatment for several conditions, such as aortic valve disease, coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, heart failure, peripheral artery disease and mitral valve regurgitation.

At Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory services are accessed through the Coronary Artery Disease Clinic. In the Coronary Artery Disease Clinic, you'll consult with doctors on the latest advances relevant to your condition, and you may be treated in the lab soon after. The Valvular Heart Disease Clinic, Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic, Heart Failure Clinic and other heart clinics partner with the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory to guide your care.

The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory offers treatment for children, including infants, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Staff includes specialists trained in treating children with heart conditions (pediatric cardiologists).

Treatment for adults is offered at the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.

Expertise, innovation and experience

Mayo Clinic was among the first medical centers to use cardiac catheterization to diagnose heart disease. The clinic also has pioneered the use of several catheter-based therapies, including:

• Complex coronary artery revascularization.
• Repair of congenital heart defects in children and adults that don't require open heart surgery.
• Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
• Valve repair and valve replacement, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement and mitral valve repair.

Our cardiologists also have deep experience in treating pulmonary vein stenosis as a complication of radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation. More than 8,900 people have cardiac catheterizations at Mayo Clinic each year.

Advanced diagnosis and treatment

Your care team uses innovative technology to improve treatment and reduce risks. For example, the lab has a system that allows your doctor to use magnets to more precisely direct wires and catheters in the heart. This helps doctors access and treat more serious or complex blockages without surgery. It also may help doctors complete procedures in less time, reducing the exposure to radiation. You might hear the system referred to stereotaxis computerized magnetic guidance.

Other advanced technology used to help improve the safety and success rates for complex procedures include intracardiac and intravascular imaging, 3D echocardiogram and rotational angiography. Many procedures are now conducted through catheters inserted in arteries in the arm. The goal of this method is to improve safety and comfort.

Your doctor also might use systems such as an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ECMO is used to support blood flow when someone is undergoing a complex procedure or if heart function isn't supporting blood flow.

Services

The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory offers a full range of services. Diagnostic procedures used in the lab include:

• Constriction and restriction studies.
• Coronary, carotid, renal, peripheral and other forms of angiography.
• Coronary physiology, endothelial and microcirculation assessment. You might hear this called a coronary spasm study.
• Endomyocardial biopsy.
• Evaluation of complex valvular disease.
• Procedures for people who are having organ transplants, including biopsies and ultrasound.
• Ultrasound done with catheters.
• Assessment of blood flow in the heart.

Treatments done in the cath lab include:

• Angioplasty and stenting for peripheral artery disease (PAD) affecting the legs or kidneys.
• Balloon atrial septostomy as part of pulmonary atresia treatment.
• Balloon dilation and stent placement to treat coarctation of the aorta.
• Balloon valvuloplasty and transcatheter aortic valve replacement to treat aortic valve stenosis and balloon valvuloplasty to treat mitral valve stenosis.
• Carotid angioplasty and stenting.
• Closure of valve leaks.
• Clot and mass removal with aspiration device. You might hear this procedure called thrombectomy.
• Coronary angioplasty and stents to treat coronary artery disease.
• Nonsurgical closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) or patent foramen ovale.
• New treatments being done as part of a clinical trial. Examples of conditions studied include endothelial dysfunction, heart failure, mitral valve disease, pulmonary hypertension and tricuspid valve regurgitation.
• Percutaneous mitral valve repair and replacement, a minimally invasive procedure to treat mitral valve disease.
• Plaque removal with a rotating device. You might hear this procedure called atherectomy.
• Pulmonary vein stenting.
• Septal ablation to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
• Transcatheter insertion of coil or occluder to treat patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).
• Ventricular assist devices (VADs).

You'll receive a detailed appointment guide for your tests and procedures. This helps you make the most of your time at the clinic. Your tests are processed at Mayo Clinic, which means the results of tests you had in the morning most likely can be reviewed the same afternoon.

Our patient-centered, team-based approach means doctors can often assess you and develop a treatment plan in 2 to 3 days. Not all services are available at all locations. Please confirm when you contact us for an appointment.

Innovative research

Mayo Clinic's Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory has an active research program that develops new technologies and techniques. Our physicians-scientists were involved in advancing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). And they set up a multicenter PTCA registry that has recruited more than 35,000 patients. Such registries help to advance the science and treatment of heart disease for people everywhere.

Talk with your heart doctor about clinical trials that you might be a part of.

Learn more about research in the Cardiovascular Research Center.

Appointments

To make an appointment, you'll need to be referred by your doctor.

Nationally recognized expertise

Mayo Clinic is top-ranked in more specialties than any other hospital and has been recognized as an Honor Roll member according to the U.S. News & World Report's 2024-2025 "Best Hospitals" rankings.

Mayo Clinic campuses are nationally recognized for expertise in cardiology and cardiovascular surgery:

• Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for heart and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report.
• Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Minnesota, and the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2024–2025 "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings.