Page 3 - Cardiology Pamphlet

CARDIAC

CATHETERIZATION

CARDIAC WHAT IS A CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION?
CATHETERIZATION 1
Cardiac catheterization, also Cardiac catheterization, also known as cardiac cath or heart cath, is a procedure to examine
known as cardiac cath or heart how well your heart is working. A thin, hollow tube called a catheter is inserted into a
cath, is a procedure to large blood vessel that leads to your heart.
examine how well your heart is
working. A thin, hollow tube WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE CARDIAC
called a catheter is inserted 2 CATHETERIZATION? QUICK FACTS
into a large blood vessel that
leads to your heart. CORONARY A cardiac cath provides information on how well • Cardiac cath is performed to
ANGIOGRAM your heart works, identifies problems and allows find out if you have disease
The coronary arteries supply for procedures to open blocked arteries. For of the heart muscle, valves, or
your heart muscle with blood. example, during cardiac cath your doctor may: coronary (heart) arteries.
They can become clogged from
a buildup of cholesterol, cells, • Take X-rays using contrast dye injected through • During the procedure, the
or other substances. This can the catheter to look for narrowed or blocked pressure and blood flow in
reduce the flow of blood to coronary arteries. This is called coronary
your heart. If a blood clot forms angiography or coronary arteriography. your heart can be measured.
and blocks blood flow through
that artery, a heart attack may • Perform a percutaneous coronary intervention • Coronary angiography
occur. A coronary angiogram is (PCI) such as coronary angioplasty with is done during cardiac
a special X-ray test to find out if stenting to open up narrowed or blocked catheterization. A contrast
your coronary arteries are segments of a coronary artery. dye visible in X-rays is injected
blocked or narrowed, where through the catheter. X-ray
and by how much. • Check the pressure in the four images show the dye as
chambers of your heart. it flows through the heart

• Take samples of blood to measure the oxygen arteries, which shows where
CORONARY content in the four chambers of your heart. arteries are blocked.
ANGIOPLASTY • The chances that problems
Angioplasty opens blocked • Evaluate the ability of the pumping will develop during cardiac
arteries and restores normal chambers to contract.
blood flow to your heart • Look for defects in the valves or cath are low.
muscle. It is not major surgery. chambers of your heart.
STENT PLACEMENTS It is done by threading a
A stent is a tiny wire mesh catheter (thin tube) through a • Remove a small piece of heart tissue to examine under a microscope (biopsy).
tube. It props open an artery small puncture in a leg or arm
and is left there permanently. artery to the heart. The blocked
Stents help keep coronary artery is opened by inflating a WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION?
arteries open and reduce the tiny balloon in it. 3 Cardiac cath is usually very safe. A small number of people have minor problems.
chance of a heart attack. A Some develop bruises where the catheter had been inserted (puncture site).
stent is inserted into the
clogged artery with a balloon The contrast dye that makes the arteries show up on X-rays causes some
catheter. The balloon is inflated people to feel sick to their stomachs, get itchy or develop hives.
and the stent expands and A doctor with special training performs the procedure with a team of nurses and
locks in place. This holds the technicians. The procedure is done in a hospital cardiac catheterization (cath) lab.
artery open and allows blood
to flow more freely.
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