Cardiac Catheterization

(see also: angiogram, angioplasty)

Purpose

Cardiac catheterization is a procedure used to detect and treat some types of heart problems. A thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into an artery and/or vein located in the groin area (or the arm) and guided to the heart. Two types of procedures are associated with cardiac catheterization.

A coronary angiogram is a diagnostic catheterization procedure, sometimes called a dye test. The test can show if there are blockages in any of the arteries that lead from the heart, and can also show how well the heart valves and heart muscles are working.

Angioplasty is a corrective catheterization procedure used to widen a narrowed artery without surgery. The most common is balloon angioplasty.

For specific information on cardiac catheterization procedures, see the angiogram and angioplasty pages and the Cardiac Catheterization and Angioplasty Patient Guide.