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Cardiac catheterization

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 Cardiac catheterization

Cardiac catheterization is a procedure that provides information on how well a person’s heart is working. To perform cardiac catheterization, a healthcare professional will insert flexible tubing into the heart through a blood vessel in the neck, arm, or groin.

The healthcare professional may perform other procedures during the test, depending on the findings of the cardiac catheterization.

This article discusses what cardiac catheterization is. It also looks at who might need it and outlines what happens during the procedure.

Cardiac catheterization is an imaging procedure that allows healthcare professionals to examine how well a person’s heart is working or how the blood vessels around the heart look.

During the procedureTrusted Source, a healthcare professional may:

  • Check the pressure in each chamber of the heart.
  • Take blood samples to measure oxygen levels.
  • Evaluate how well the pumping chambers in the heart contract.
  • Locate any defects in the valves and chambers.

There are two typesTrusted Source of cardiac catheterization procedures: right heart catheterization (RHC) and left heart catheterization (LHC).

During RHC, a healthcare professional will insert a thin tube called a catheter into a blood vessel from the neck, elbow, or leg to access the right side of the heart. RHC helps measure blood pressure and oxygen levels.

During LHC, the healthcare professional will insert the catheter into an artery from the wrist, arm, or leg to enter the left side of the heart. They may perform LHC to conduct angiography to help determine how blocked the coronary arteries are.

According to Johns Hopkins, once the tube is in place, the healthcare professional may perform different tests, including:

  • Fractional flow reserve: This procedure measures blood flow and blood pressure through a part of a coronary artery. It can evaluate blockages and the need for angioplasty or stenting.
  • Intravascular ultrasound: Intravascular ultrasound provides images of the insides of blood vessels through the use of sound waves. It can help find blood clots and areas that require stents or angioplasty.
  • Biopsy: During a biopsy, the healthcare professional will take a small tissue sample from the heart muscle for examination. This procedure may help diagnose cardiomyopathy, heart transplant rejection, and infections.

Vs. angiogram

An angiogram is a procedure performed duringTrusted Source cardiac catheterization, typically duringTrusted Source LHC.

The healthcare professional can guide the catheter into the coronary arteries and inject a contrast dye that is visible in X-rays. The X-ray images will show the dye as it flows through the arteries to show where they are blocked.

A healthcare professional may perform cardiac catheterization to identify any potential heart conditions and allow surgeons to perform procedures to open any blocked arteries, including angioplasty and stent placement.

Angioplasty is a procedure to open a blocked or narrowed artery. The healthcare professional will inflate a tiny balloon at the end of the catheter to hold the blood vessel open. They will then insert a stent, which is a small, tube-like device that holds open the narrowed or blocked artery more permanently.

A person may require cardiac catheterization if they experience one or more of the following symptoms:

A healthcare professional may order cardiac catheterization if a heart screening exam suggests that the heart needs exploration.

They may also suggest cardiac catheterization to evaluate blood flow if a person experiences chest pain after a heart attack, coronary artery bypass surgery, or coronary angioplasty.

Cardiac catheterization can help diagnose the following conditions:

  • atherosclerosis, which is when the arteries are clogged with fatty substances
  • cardiomyopathy, which is a term to refer to diseases of the heart muscle
  • congenital heart disease, which occurs when there is a defect in the structure of the heart at birth
  • heart failure, which occurs when the heart muscle is too weak to pump the blood well
  • heart valve disease, which is the malfunction of one or more heart valves

According to the American Heart Association (AHA)Trusted Source, cardiac catheterization is typically very safe.

However, some common risksTrusted Source include bleeding or bruising.

Some rare risks include:

  • itching or hives if a person has an allergic reaction to the contrast dye
  • an abnormal heart rhythm
  • infection
  • impaired kidney function

Some extremely rare complications include:

  • stroke
  • heart attack
  • a need for heart surgery

A person should tell a healthcare professional if they are pregnant, breastfeeding, or lactating before undergoing cardiac catheterization

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