You may have had chest pain (angina), shortness of breath or other symptoms concerning for heart muscle dysfunction. To help diagnose your problem, your healthcare provider may advise a cardiac catheterization. This is a procedure that looks for blockages or narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. These can cause chest pain or a heart attack if not treated.
This procedure may be done as a planned procedure if you have had recent symptoms and/or an abnormal stress test. This procedure may also be done right away to treat a suspected heart attack.
Before the procedure
- Tell your healthcare team what medicines you take and about any allergies you have.
- Continue to take all medications, unless instructed otherwise by your doctor.
- Don’t eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the procedure.
During the procedure
- Hair may be trimmed where the catheter will be inserted.
- An IV (intravenous) line will be inserted in your arm in order to administer sedation medications to help you relax.
- A plastic tube called a sheath will be placed in an artery in your wrist or groin.
- Through the sheath, a series of wire and tubes (catheters) will be advanced to the heart through the artery in your wrist or groin.
- An angiogram will then be made by injecting contrast dye into the arteries of the heart (coronary arteries) and using X-ray technology.
- If important blockages are found, balloons (angioplasty) and stents (percutaneous coronary intervention, PCI) may be used to restore adequate blood flow to the heart muscle.
After the procedure
- If the procedure was performed through the groin artery, you may have to lie flat for 3-6 hours after the procedure.
- A nurse will routinely check your vital signs and the access site for bleeding.
- You may be asked to drink fluid to help flush the contrast liquid out of your system.
- You may be able to go home the same day as long as someone drives you home from the hospital. If stents were placed, someone will need to stay with you overnight.
- There may be a small bruise or lump at the insertion site. This should resolve within a few days.
- Make sure you take all prescribed medications.
- Follow up with you doctor as scheduled.
- Call your healthcare provider if you have any concerning symptoms, including:
– Return of symptoms that led to cardiac catheterization
– Bleeding, swelling, pain, redness or warmth at the insertion site
– Pain weakness, numbness or discoloration of the arm or leg near the procedure site.
– Blood in the urine, bright red blood in the stool, dark tarry stools
– Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher.