Health Information Series

What is cardiac catheterization?

Cardiac catheterization is an invasive procedure more accurate (the term invasive implies that enters the body with an instrument) that allows detailed information on heart conditions.

Used to diagnose diseases of the heart muscle (myocardium) and / or coronary artery disease (partial or complete blockage) allows endomyocardial biopsies (heart muscle), measure blood pressure in the chambers of the heart and determine the heart’s ability pump blood.

Cardiac catheterization is in addition to infants and children to examine and treat congenital heart defects.

What is the procedure?

The procedure lasts 30-60 minutes and is performed while the patient is drowsy under the influence of a sedative. The doctor administers a local anesthetic and inserts a thin flexible tube called a catheter through
an artery or vein in the arm, neck or leg (which is the most used).

The catheter passes through the blood vessels to reach the right heart cavity. The passage of the catheter through blood vessels is followed by fluoroscopy (using x-rays). You can take immediate injecting contrast images (special dye) through the catheter. The process of injecting dye is called coronary angiography or coronary arteriography.

What are the complications?

Complications of the procedure are bleeding, irregular heart rhythm, blood vessel rupture, heart attack and stroke. According to statistics from the National Institute of Cardiac Surgery, complications are rare and the risk of death is low.

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