What Is a Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization Procedure?
Your physician may recommend a diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedure (also called an angiogram) for a number of conditions related to the heart, including coronary heart disease (CHD), the most common form of heart disease. CHD is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States, according to recent statistics by the American Heart Association.
A narrowing of the coronary arteries that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood causes the condition.
To prepare you for a diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedure, a local anesthetic is injected into the skin with a tiny needle, to numb the area where the catheter will be inserted. Next, a small incision is made and the catheter is inserted (usually into the femoral artery in the groin area), where it is slowly advanced toward the heart. The interventional cardiologist and the specialized cardiac catheterization team follow the progression of the catheter to your heart on sophisticated computer monitors. X-ray dye is injected through the catheter into the coronary arteries and pictures are taken to detect blockages and the level of their severity.
|
