What is a Heart Catheterization?

Heart catheterization involves threading a thin, plastic tube (catheter) through an artery, in either the groin or the arm, through blood vessels and into the left side of the heart. Just above the left ventricle are the openings into the coronary arteries which carry blood to the heart muscles. By threading the catheter into the coronary arteries and releasing a dye into the arteries, x-ray images (coronary angiography) of the moving heart and its blood vessels can be examined to determine if a narrowing or blockage of a vessel is present.

Less frequently, a catheter is threaded through a vein and inserted into the right side of the heart, the chamber that pumps blood into the lungs. Right heart catheterization is performed to evaluate congenital abnormalities and problems with heart valves.

In New York State, heart catheterizations can be performed only in designated catheterization laboratories, all of which are located in hospitals. These laboratories are approved by the New York State Department of Health, which also monitors their performance.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor Before a Heart Catheterization Procedure.

Is the cardiologist board certified?
Does the cardiologist have extensive practical experience in performing heart catheterizations?
How many heart catheterizations has the cardiologist performed annually?
What percentage of patients who had a heart catheterization done by the cardiologist developed complications?
Does the hospital where the heart catheterization is to be performed have a formal credentialing process and criteria for granting physician privileges to perform the procedure?
How will the heart catheterization be done and what are the possible risks and complications?
Will the cardiologist perform a heart catheterization on the right side, left side, or both sides of the heart?
What does the cardiologist hope to find by doing a heart catheterization?
What precautions and preparations are necessary prior to a heart catheterization?