The area in your groin where the catheter was inserted will be checked frequently. If you notice bleeding, discomfort, swelling, or numbness there, tell your nurse immediately. You will have to lie flat and keep your leg straight for six to eight hours. You will be instructed to drink plenty of fluids to wash the dye through your kidneys. There is less than one percent chance that the procedure could cause a heart attack, stroke, bleeding or clotting, or heart perforation.
Fatalities are extremely rare.
Your cardiologist will discuss these risks with you before you sign a form consenting to catheterization. The cardiologist will also point out that the risks are far out-weighed by the benefit of knowing the exact condition of your heart. The more the interventional cardiology team knows about your heart, the greater the chance that treatment will be successful. The video images are all recorded for later study. Some preliminary results will be available right away.