Cardiac catheterization
Find a heart specialistYour doctor might recommend a cardiac catheterization if they suspect you have blockages in your heart’s blood vessels.
In our state-of-the-art cardiac cath labs, our specialists provide fast, accurate diagnosis, angioplasty and stenting for heart attack, blood clots and heart disease.
What is cardiac catheterization?
In a cardiac catheterization, an interventional cardiologist inserts a long, thin tube called a catheter into a blood vessel through the groin, arm or neck. We then can use diagnostic tests to determine the cause of your heart-related symptoms.
If your doctor finds signs of coronary artery disease, such as narrow arteries or blockages, they may perform an interventional procedure, such as:
- Balloon angioplasty: Through the site where the cardiac catheter was inserted, we thread a tiny deflated balloon through the blood vessel up to the blockage. Then we inflate the balloon, which pushes the plaque against the blood vessel walls and creates room for blood to flow freely. When we remove the balloon, the vessel stays open.
- Stent placement: To keep the blood vessel open, we may mount a coronary stent – a small, expandable metal mesh cage – on the balloon. The stent remains inside the artery to hold it open.
- Atherectomy: This treats atherosclerosis (the hardening of the arteries) by removing plaque from an artery so it can be flexible again.
Prior to surgery, you'll see your primary care doctor or cardiologist for personalized guidelines to prepare for surgery including:
- Refraining from eating or drinking anything after midnight the night before your procedure
- How to get ready for your procedure including any medications you may need to stop taking
- Answering your questions and concerns
The procedure takes about an hour. You may receive a mild sedative to help you relax, but you’ll still be awake.
Your doctor will place electrocardiogram electrodes to your chest to monitor your heart rate.
During cardiac catheterization, we’ll insert a short, hollow plastic tube into your leg or arm. Then we’ll thread a catheter with a camera on the tip through a blood vessel to your heart and see how well your heart is working or if there are any blockages. We do this by injecting a contrast dye into the catheter, which will show any areas around your heart that are narrow or blocked.
If we find a blockage in your heart vessels during your heart cath, we can remove it using coronary angioplasty, stenting or both.
In most cases, you’ll rest at the hospital for four to six hours before going home. During this time, you’ll need to keep the leg or arm where your catheter was inserted straight so that your blood vessels can recover.
If you’ve had angioplasty or stenting, you may go home the same day or stay overnight in the hospital so we can make sure all is well.
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