Risks of the procedure are cardiac arrhythmias , cardiac tamponade , trauma to the vein or artery, low blood pressure , infection, embolism from blood clots at the tip of the catheter, reaction to contrast medium, hemorrhage, stroke , and heart attack . Therapeutic catheterization may be used to repair certain types of heart defects, open a stenotic heart valve, and dilate obstructed arteries or grafts in the heart. Cardiac defects or disease may be present, such as coronary artery disease , valvular heart disease , ventricular aneurysms or enlargement. Information not available. Cardiac catheterization may include coronary angiography .
Cardiac catheterization is used to study the various functions of the heart.
Using different techniques, the coronary arteries can be viewed by injecting dye or opened using balloon angioplasty. The technique can even be performed in small, newborn infants.