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Cardiac catheterization involves passing a thin flexible tube (catheter) into the right or left side of the heart, usually from the groin or the arm.
Alternative NamesCatheterization - cardiac; Heart catheterization
How the test is performedYou will be given a mild sedative before the test to help you relax. An intravenous (IV) line is inserted into one of the blood vessels in your arm, neck, or groin after the site has been cleansed and numbed with a local numbing medicine (anesthetic).
A catheter is then inserted through the IV and into your blood vessel. The catheter is carefully threaded into the heart using an x-ray machine that produces real-time pictures (fluoroscopy). Once the catheter is in place, your doctor may:
- Collect blood samples from the heart
- Measure pressure and blood flow in the heart's chambers and in the large arteries around the heart
- Measure the oxygen in different parts of your heart
- Examine the arteries of the heart with an x-ray technique called fluoroscopy (which gives immediate, "real-time" pictures of the x-ray images on a screen and provides a permanent record of the procedure)
- Perform a biopsy on the heart muscle
If possible, you will be asked not to eat or drink for 6 - 8 hours before the test. The test takes place in a hospital and you will be asked to wear a hospital gown. Sometimes, you will need to spend the night before the test in the hospital. Otherwise, you will be admitted as an outpatient or an inpatient the morning of the procedure.
Your health care provider should explain the procedure and its risks. A witnessed, signed consent for the procedure is required.
Tell your doctor if you:
- Are allergic to seafood
- Have had a bad reaction to contrast material or iodine in the past
- Are taking Viagra
- Might be pregnant
The study is done by trained cardiologists with the assistance of trained technicians and nurses.
You will be awake and able to follow instructions during the test. You will usually get a mild sedative 30 minutes before the test to help you relax. The test may last 30 - 60 minutes.
You may feel some discomfort at the site where the catheter is placed. Local anesthesia will be used to numb the site, so the only sensation should be one of pressure at the site. You may experience some discomfort from having to remain still for a long time.
After the test, the catheter is removed. You might feel a firm pressure, used to prevent bleeding at the insertion site. If the catheter is placed in your groin, you will usually be asked to lie flat on your back for a few hours after the test to avoid bleeding. This may cause some mild back discomfort.
Why the test is performedIn general, this procedure is done to get information about the heart or its blood vessels or to provide treatment in certain types of heart conditions. It may also be used to determine the need for heart surgery.
Your doctor may perform cardiac catheterization to:
- Diagnose or evaluate coronary artery disease
- Diagnose or evaluate congenital heart defects
- Diagnose or evaluate problems with the heart valves
- Diagnose causes of heart failure or cardiomyopathy
The following may also be performed using cardiac catheterization:
- Repair of certain types of heart defects
- Repair of a stuck (stenotic) heart valve
- Opening of blocked arteries or grafts in the heart
The procedure can identify heart defects or disease, such as:
- Coronary artery disease
- Valve problems
- Ventricular aneurysms
- Heart enlargement
The procedure also may be performed for the following:
- Primary pulmonary hypertension
- Heart valve defects, such as pulmonary valve stenosis, mitral valve regurgitation, aortic stenosis, and others
- Pulmonary embolism
- Birth defects, such as Tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great vessels, ventricular septal defect, coarctation of the aorta, and others
- Cardiac amyloidosis
Cardiac catheterization carries a slightly higher risk than other heart tests, but is very safe when performed by an experienced team.
Generally, the risks include the following:
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Cardiac tamponade
- Heart attack
- Bleeding
- Low blood pressure
- Reaction to the contrast medium
- Stroke
- Trauma to the artery caused by hematoma
Possible complications of any type of catheterization include the following:
- A risk of bleeding, infection, and pain at the IV site
- A very small risk that the soft plastic catheters could damage the blood vessels
- Blood clotscould form on the catheters and later block blood vessels elsewhere in the body.
- The contrast material could damage the kidneys (particularly in patients with Diabetes).
Cardiac catheterization may include coronary angiography.
ReferencesDavidson CJ, Bonow RO. Cardiac catheterization. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 19.
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William Bennett was an electrical engerneer. He invented the closed-chest cardiac massage, which is also part of CPR. He also invented the first cardiac defibrillator. (Information from Wikipedia)
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Bioengineers, Cardiac doctors, Surgeon, Aesthetist, Nurses
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It contains the heart, the great vessels of the heart, esophagus, trachea, phrenic nerve, cardiac nerve, thoracic duct, thymus, and lymph nodes of the central chest
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Balloon atrial septostomy and balloon valvuloplasty are cardiac catheterization procedures.
What has the author William Grossman written?
William Grossman has written: 'Cardiac catheterization and angiography' -- subject(s): Angiocardiography, Cardiac catheterization, Heart Catheterization
Do you capitalize cardiac catheterization laboratory?
When it is used as a name of laboratory the n it is capitalized. It should be --- Cardiac Catheterization laboratory.
What has the author Charles E Mullins written?
Charles E. Mullins has written: 'Cardiac catheterization in congenital heart disease' -- subject(s): Cardiac catheterization, Cardiac catheterization in children, Congenital Heart Defects, Congenital heart disease in children, Diagnosis, Heart Catheterization, Methods, Surgery, Therapy
What kind of catheter is used in a cardiac catheterization?
In cardiac catheterization, a long, fine catheter is used for passage through a blood vessel into the chambers of the heart.
What region of the heart can be checked by a cardiac catheterization?
A test that can be performed on either side of the heart, cardiac catheterization checks for different functions in both the left and right sides.
What Test is perform after a heart attack?
Cardiac catheterization or an Angiography
What is it called when blood is withdraw from the heart chambers?
cardiac catheterization
Can you die during a Cardiac catheterization?
Every procedure comes with it's own risk and benefits. Your risk of complications during cardiac catherization can vary depending on your medical history. If you are getting a cardiac catheterization it is best to discuss the benefits and risks with your physician.
What measurement is one of the main purposes of a cardiac catheterization?
An essential part of the catheterization is measuring intracardiac pressures, or the pressure in the heart's chambers and vessels.
What modifer would be used when coding for the supervision and interpretation of a cardiac catheterization?
-26
What causes a pseudoaneurysm in the femoral artery?
Cardiac catheterization is usually the cause of a femoral pseudoaneurism.
