Cardiac Catherizations Specialist

How does cardiac catheterization work?

Cardiac catheterization is a procedure for diagnosing and treating certain conditions affecting your heart. A catheter is a very long and slender tube. During cardiac catheterization, the team at Advanced Cardiovascular Consultants feeds a catheter through a blood vessel in your arm or groin. Using a contrast dye with X-ray imaging, they guide the catheter to your heart.

Once the catheter reaches your heart, the team can perform necessary procedures to test or improve your heart’s functioning. The procedure is very safe and involves few risks as long as you follow all instructions from your physician regarding preparation and recovery. 

When do I need a cardiac catheterization?

There are many reasons why your provider may recommend a cardiac catheterization procedure. If you have symptoms of a complication involving your heart’s function, the team at Advanced Cardiovascular Consultants may use cardiac catheterization as a diagnostic tool to gather information about your heart or pinpoint the exact location of an abnormality. They can:

• View blocked or narrow arteries in an X-ray
• Check the pressure of each heart chamber
• Find valve defects in your heart
• Remove a piece of tissue from your heart to use for biopsy testing

Cardiac catheterization is also a useful strategy to treat several forms of heart disease. Using cardiac catheterization to access your heart, the team at Advanced Cardiovascular Consultants can perform an angioplasty to widen an artery, place a stent to hold it open, perform ablation to treat various forms of arrhythmia, or close holes in your heart that have been present from birth.

How should I prepare for cardiac catheterization?

Cardiac catheterization may be minimally invasive, but it’s still a surgery that requires preparation on your part. The team at Advanced Cardiovascular Consultants may perform a series of tests and gather information about your current overall health before planning the procedure. You may want to tell them if there’s a chance you’re pregnant during the consultation.

If your provider decides that cardiac catheterization is necessary, they give you a comprehensive set of instructions to follow as you prepare. These may include:

• Fasting for 6-8 hours before the procedure
• Taking necessary medications with only a small sip of water the day of the procedure
• Adjusting or avoiding certain medications
• Removing dentures and jewelry

The team at Advanced Cardiovascular Consultants tells you how long you can expect to stay after the procedure as they monitor you. You’ll be able to eat and drink again shortly after you leave the recovery room. 

To find out if cardiac catheterization is a necessary part of your diagnosis or treatment, call Advanced Cardiovascular Consultants or book an appointment online today.