Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic procedure for evaluating certain problems with the heart and its blood supply. It provides the cardiologist (heart doctor) with information that cannot be obtained by any other means, and provides important information that helps the physician plan treatment options. The procedure is sometimes referred to as a coronary angiogram or coronary arteriography and is a special x-ray test used to examine the arteries and chambers of the heart.

This procedure helps doctors to diagnose heart conditions such as coronary artery disease, defective heart valves, or congenital heart defects. It provides information about the blood flow through the heart and coronary arteries (blood vessels that supply blood to the the heart muscle) or other major blood vessels that carry blood to and from the heart; pressure within the heart chambers and blood vessels; the detailed structure of various parts of the heart and vascular (blood vessel) system, as well as the heart's pumping ability.

The Catheterization Laboratory is similar to an operating room. Sterile technique prevents infection. The staff who perform the procedure wear gowns, masks, and gloves. The procedure involves the placement of a long, thin tube (called a catheter) into the heart to measure pressures, inject dye, and take x-ray pictures taken by a camera that rotates around the patient's body. This procedure generally takes 30 minutes to an hour for most patients.

Besides obtaining diagnostic information, additional interventional procedures to treat cardiac disorders may be performed in the cardiac cath lab. These procedures include angioplasty (PTCA), stents, laser angioplasty, rotablator angioplasty, valvuloplasty, pacemaker implants, and many others.

What does an Invasive Cardiovascular Technologist do?