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What is a catheterization?
Catheterization is a procedure used to diagnose and treat various forms of heart and vascular disease. The procedure is performed in an area of the hospital called the catheterization laboratory, or “cath lab.” A doctor who specializes in performing this procedure will insert long, thin tubes called catheters into blood vessels in your arm, leg or neck. The catheters are then threaded up to your heart or other vessels. The catheters are used to measure pressures in different parts of the circulation and the amount of blood that the heart is pumping. Using X-ray dye and special equipment, the doctor is able to take pictures of the heart and circulation. The dye can show whether a material called plaque has narrowed or blocked any of your arteries. You will receive sedative medication and a local anesthetic to help you remain comfortable throughout the procedure. In addition to obtaining this diagnostic information about the heart and circulation, the doctor may have to do other procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stenting of the clogged artery to open it up. Most procedures take between one to four hours to complete, and you will need to stay in the hospital for up to eight hours after the procedure or, in some cases, overnight to be monitored before going home.
Why am I having a catheterization?
You are having a catheterization because your doctor knows or suspects that you have cardiovascular disease, affecting your heart or blood vessels or both. Catheterization is used to diagnose and/or treat various heart and/or vascular conditions. The most common type of heart disease for which catheterization is performed is coronary artery disease (CAD). This is a condition in which plaque (atherosclerosis) builds up within the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. When the coronary arteries are blocked by plaque build-up (often called stenosis or occlusion) and/or a clot (thrombus), blood and oxygen do not reach the heart muscle in adequate amounts. If the heart muscle does not receive enough blood over a period of time, it may suffer permanent damage, also known as a myocardial infarction or heart attack. Arteries in other parts of the body such as the kidneys, neck and legs are at risk for the same type of plaque (atherosclerosis) that forms in the coronary arteries, affecting circulation to different parts of the body. Peripheral veins can be affected by blood clots that may reduce the blood return to the heart and need to be treated. Other conditions for which you may be having a cardiac catheterization include leaky or narrowed heart valves, weak or thickened heart muscle, or abnormal connections between your heart chambers or blood vessels.