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.