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Cath Lab Tech: The role of the technologists is to set up and operate the various types of equipment used by the physicians during your cath procedure. They also monitor and record vital signs and collect measurements to assist the doctor with the diagnosis of heart and vascular disease. The cath lab nurses and techs work together to prep you for the procedure and to care for you in the recovery area after the procedure.
Pre-procedure holding area
The pre-procedure holding area is used as a staging place before moving you into the procedure room. You will be placed on a stretcher and the cath lab doctor will review your medical history and physical exam. You will be asked to sign a consent form for the procedure if you have not already been done so. An IV will be started and you may be given fluid or medication through this line. You will then be taken into the procedure room.
Procedure room
Once you are in the procedure room, you will be moved to a flat, movable exam table. One or two cameras are located above, below, and to the sides of the table; there will be many monitors visible around the room; ECG leads will be attached to your chest to monitor your heart rate and rhythm. The selected areas for insertion of the catheters—usually both the right and left side of the groin—will be shaved and washed with an antiseptic to ensure that they are clean. The team will work to ensure that your privacy and dignity are maintained at all times. The most common entry site is your right groin, but occasionally the left groin, neck, arm or wrist may be used. You will be given sedative and pain medications through your IV. It will be necessary for us to communicate with you, and we need to know if you are experiencing any discomfort. If you are feeling anxious, you will be given additional medication. A local anesthetic (like the Novocain that you get at the dentist) is injected to numb the skin at the insertion point, and you may experience a brief burning or stinging sensation, pressure or mild discomfort.
The catheterization procedure
From this point on, the lights will be dimmed periodically for viewing purposes. It is important not to talk, as pressures are recorded, because the measurements being taken should reflect your quiet resting state. The doctor will take pictures of your arteries and/or veins. To accomplish this, the doctor will manually inject dye through a catheter into the artery that supplies blood to the heart muscle. Cameras will move around your chest, and the table will move so the dye can be followed as it travels through the vessels. A catheter may be placed into your heart’s main pumping chamber. This time, dye will be injected by a machine. Moving pictures will evaluate how the pumping chamber functions. The dye causes a hot and flushed feeling throughout your body lasting 10 to 20 seconds or so. After all measurements are taken and images obtained, the doctor will discuss the findings with you and present options for further treatment. Your options may include no treatment, a change in medications, surgery, or another type of catheterization called an interventional procedure. If an interventional procedure is recommended, it is often done while you are still in the procedure room. The type of interventional procedure performed depends on the problem with your heart or circulation, and might include, for example, balloon angioplasty or placement of a stent.