Cardiac catheterization

You will get medicine before the test to help you relax. A member of the team doing this procedure will clean a site on your arm, neck, or groin and insert a small catheter into one of your veins. This is called an intravenous (IV) line. A larger thin plastic tube called a sheath is placed into a vein or artery in…

You should not eat or drink for 6 to 8 hours before the test. The test takes place in a hospital or specialized procedure unit 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 come to the hospital the morning of the…

The test is done by cardiologists and a trained health care team. You will be awake and able to follow instructions during the test. You may feel some discomfort or pressure where the catheter is placed. You may have some discomfort from lying still during the test or from lying flat on your back after the procedure.

This procedure is most often done to get information about the heart or its blood vessels. It may also be done to treat some types of heart conditions, or to find out if you need heart surgery. Your doctor may perform cardiac catheterization to diagnose or evaluate: Causes of congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy…

Cardiac catheterization carries a slightly higher risk than other heart tests. However, it is very safe when done by an experienced team. The risks include: Cardiac tamponade Heart attack Injury to a coronary artery Irregular heartbeat Low blood pressure Reaction to the contrast dye Stroke Possible complications of…

Dangas GD, Mehran R. Coronary angiography and intravascular imaging. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine . 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 21. Kumbhani DJ, Bhatt DL. Percutaneous coronary intervention.…