Since graduating from Albany Medical College, medical professional Colin Hirst, MD, has completed post-doctoral training in the areas of internal medicine, cardiology, and cardiovascular diseases. Colin Hirst, MD, is currently working with Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, as an interventional cardiology fellow.

Interventional cardiology is a medical specialty that combines aspects of internal medicine and cardiology to treat heart conditions using specialized imaging techniques and non-surgical procedures, often with catheters. There are a few common procedures that are often used with interventional cardiology.

Percutaneous valve repair or replacement is often used as an alternative for open-heart surgery. In this procedure, doctors use catheters to guide various devices (like clips) up to damaged valves to repair or replace them, helping the blood to flow properly again.

Angioplasty is a procedure used to dilate arteries or blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the heart. When the vessels or arteries are expanded, stents (small mesh cylinders) are often used to keep them open.

For interventional cardiologists specializing in pediatrics, the primary focus is on treating and diagnosing congenital heart defects. The percutaneous methods used in interventional cardiology can be used to correct different types of congenital heart defects, including the patent foramen ovale and atrial septal defect.