Your physician has requested that you have a cardiac catheterization. This procedure will provide your doctor with information to make an accurate diagnosis and to determine what treatment is best for you. Cardiac Catheterization involves passing a tiny catheter through the femoral or brachial artery and guided to the heart where pressures are then recorded. A special dye or contrast solution will be injected into the artery to highlight the area of concern and pictures will be taken simultaneously. When the procedurc is completed, the catheter will be removed and direct pressure will be applied to the insertion site for 15 to 20 minutes to control any bleeding that might occur.
Patients usually go home the same day, or in some cases the next day, with few restrictions.
Be assured that if any complications should occur, all hospital services are readily available. The Stress EKG, or treadmill test, will assist the cardiologist in diagnosing the function of your heart. Information from this test will help your physician make the appropriate diagnosis and recommend further treatment if needed. This test will help the cardiologist make the appropriate diagnosis and recommendation for further treatment, if necessary. Transesophageal echocardiography is a specialized cardiac exam in which physicians obtain ultrasound images of the heart from a transducer positioned in the esophagus behind the heart.