how do I prepare for cardiac catheterization?

The risks and benefits of cardiac catheterization will be discussed with you before the procedure. You will also be informed of treatment(s) that may be recommended depending upon your test results. You will be asked to sign a consent form giving your doctor permission to perform the test and you will be given instructions about what you may or may not eat and drink before the catheterization. You may be given a prescription to take before the procedure, and/or you may be told to stop taking certain medications.

You should pack an overnight bag in case you are required to spend the night in the hospital. You should also make arrangements to have someone drive you home after the procedure because you will not be allowed to drive yourself.

  what takes place during a cardiac catheterization?

You will be asked to empty your bladder and change into a hospital gown before the test. A nurse will start an IV line (usually in your hand or lower arm), and you may be given medication(s). It may be necessary for someone on staff to shave the area of your skin where a catheter will eventually be inserted.

Once all of the above preparations are complete, you will be taken to the catheterization laboratory and transferred to an x-ray table in a lying position. You will receive a sedative that will help you to relax. The area of your skin where the catheter is to be inserted will be cleaned and numbed. The lighting in the room may be dimmed from time to time during the procedure.

The catheter, which is a long flexible tube, is usually inserted into a blood vessel in the groin area, but occasionally the physician may choose a vessel at the inner wrist or elbow. The catheter is then gently guided toward your heart.

During the angiogram, dye is injected through the catheter into the arteries of the heart. As the dye moves into your bloodstream you may feel a warm, flushing sensation. The dye allows the arteries to be photographed by x-ray. Several pictures may be taken as the dye travels through the arteries of the heart. You may be asked to hold your breath while these pictures are being taken.

  when will I know the results of the test?

The results of your angiogram of the heart will be discussed with you after your test. This discussion may take place while you are still on the x-ray table, or after you have been taken to a recovery area.

  will I need angioplasty or bypass surgery?

In some cases, angioplasty (temporarily inflating a balloon inside the coronary artery to open a blockage) and/or stenting (placement of a wire coil into the artery to keep the vessel open) may be done during the angiogram to improve blood flow to the heart arteries and muscle.

If multiple blockages are found, or if the blockages are in areas that are too hard to reach, coronary artery bypass surgery could be recommended. This surgery may be performed at a later date or your physician may decide to proceed with a bypass on the same day as the cardiac catheterization.