Interventional Cardiology & Electrophysiology

Interventional cardiology in Tunis, Tunisia · Centre Urbain Nord

The interventional cardiology and electrophysiology unit of Clinique Pasteur has a dedicated catheterization laboratory, with an adjoining cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). Procedures are performed percutaneously, through a simple arterial or venous puncture, with no incision and no open-heart surgery. It treats diseases of the heart arteries (coronary angiography, angioplasty with stent placement), valve diseases (percutaneous valvuloplasty) and the full range of heart rhythm disorders: electrophysiological studies, ablations, pacemaker and defibrillator implantation. A team of experienced interventional cardiologists and electrophysiologists ensures coordinated care alongside cardiac testing, cardiac surgery and intensive care.

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Services & Examinations

Click on a service or an examination to learn more: description, preparation, how it works, duration.

Coronary arteries

Diagnostic coronary angiography

The reference invasive examination for visualizing the coronary arteries by injecting a contrast agent, used to locate and quantify coronary narrowings (stenoses).

20 to 45 minutes for the procedure; allow half a day to a full day of hospitalization

FFR measurement and intracoronary imaging (IVUS, OCT)

Tests performed during coronary angiography to measure the real significance of a narrowing and to see inside the artery.

10 to 30 minutes longer than a coronary angiogram

Coronary angioplasty with stent placement

Percutaneous procedure to widen a coronary artery narrowed by atherosclerosis and place a stent (a small metal mesh tube) to keep the artery open.

45 minutes to 2 hours depending on complexity; hospitalization for 24 to 72 hours

Complex coronary angioplasty (multiple arteries, multiple stents)

Catheter treatment of multiple, long or calcified coronary narrowings with several stents, without opening the chest.

1 to 3 hours depending on the number of lesions

Left main and coronary bifurcation angioplasty

Angioplasty of a narrowing in the left main coronary artery or at the point where a coronary artery divides into two branches.

About 1 to 2 hours

Recanalisation of a chronic total coronary occlusion

Catheter reopening of a coronary artery that has been blocked for more than three months, to relieve angina and breathlessness.

About 2 to 4 hours

Primary angioplasty for heart attack

Emergency catheter reopening of the coronary artery blocked during a heart attack, to save as much heart muscle as possible.

About 30 minutes to 1 hour

Heart valves and septal defects

Percutaneous valvuloplasty

Percutaneous dilation of a narrowed (stenotic) heart valve using a balloon inflated across the valve, avoiding the need for open-heart surgery.

1 to 2 hours for the procedure; hospitalization for 2 to 4 days

TAVI: transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Implantation of a new aortic valve through a catheter, most often via the groin artery, without opening the chest or stopping the heart.

About 1 to 2 hours

Transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (MitraClip)

Catheter treatment of a leaking mitral valve, bringing its two leaflets together with a small clip, without opening the chest.

About 2 to 3 hours

Transcatheter edge-to-edge tricuspid valve repair (TriClip)

Catheter reduction of a severe tricuspid valve leak, bringing its leaflets together with one or more clips.

About 2 to 3 hours

Transcatheter closure of an ASD or patent foramen ovale

Catheter closure of a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart, using a small double-disc device.

30 minutes to 1 hour 30

Heart rhythm

Intracardiac electrophysiology study

The reference examination for analysing the heart's electrical circuit from the inside and precisely identifying the origin of a rhythm disorder.

1 to 2 hours

Radiofrequency ablation of arrhythmias

Curative treatment of heart rhythm disorders that neutralises, with a radiofrequency current, the area of the heart responsible for the arrhythmia.

2 to 4 hours depending on the type of arrhythmia

Atrial fibrillation ablation

Interventional treatment of atrial fibrillation by pulmonary vein isolation, to restore a regular heart rhythm.

2 to 4 hours

Atrial flutter ablation

The reference treatment for atrial flutter, an organised rhythm disorder of the atrium, with excellent lasting results.

1 to 2 hours

Ventricular tachycardia ablation

Specialised interventional treatment of rhythm disorders arising in the ventricles, guided by three-dimensional mapping.

3 to 5 hours

Transcatheter left atrial appendage closure

Catheter placement of a device that closes the left atrial appendage, to prevent stroke from atrial fibrillation when anticoagulants are not possible.

About 1 hour

Pacemaker implantation

Placement of a cardiac pacemaker that constantly watches over the heart rhythm and stimulates it whenever it beats too slowly.

About 1 hour

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation

Placement of an implantable defibrillator that continuously monitors the heart and automatically protects it against serious rhythm disorders.

1 to 2 hours

Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT)

Implantation of a specific pacemaker that re-coordinates the heart's contractions to improve the symptoms of heart failure.

1 hour 30 minutes to 3 hours

Pacemaker or defibrillator generator replacement

Planned replacement of a pacemaker or defibrillator generator whose battery is nearing its end, usually keeping the existing leads.

30 minutes to 1 hour

Implantable loop recorder (implantable cardiac monitor)

A small recorder placed under the skin of the chest that monitors the heart rhythm for several years to explain rare fainting or palpitations.

About 15 to 20 minutes

Circulatory support and other procedures

Right and left heart catheterization

Invasive hemodynamic exploration of the right and left heart chambers by catheterization, measuring intracardiac pressures and blood flow to assess overall cardiac function.

45 minutes to 1h30 depending on the extent of the exploration; hospitalization for 24 to 48 hours