page_title: Catheter
section_title: Interventional procedures
hierarchical_section_title: Catheter / Interventional procedures
caption_attribution_description: English: Various settings of a 6 French pigtail catheter with locking string, obturator (also called stiffening cannula) and puncture needle. A. Overview B. Both puncture needle and obturator engaged, allowing for direct insertion. C. Puncture needle retracted. Obturator engaged. Used for example in steady advancement of the catheter on a guidewire.D. Both obturator and puncture needle retracted, when the catheter is in place. E. Locking string is pulled (bottom center) and then wrapped and attach to the superficial end of the catheter.
context_page_description: In medicine, a catheter is a thin tube made from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions. Catheters are medical devices that can be inserted in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgical procedure. By modifying the material or adjusting the way catheters are manufactured, it is possible to tailor catheters for cardiovascular, urological, gastrointestinal, neurovascular, and ophthalmic applications.
  Catheters can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel. Functionally, they allow drainage, administration of fluids or gases, access by surgical instruments, and also perform a wide variety of other tasks depending on the type of catheter. The process of inserting a catheter is "catheterization". In most uses, a catheter is a thin, flexible tube though catheters are available in varying levels of stiffness depending on the application. A catheter left inside the body, either temporarily or permanently, may be referred to as an "indwelling catheter". A permanently inserted catheter may be referred to as a "permcath".
context_section_description: Different catheter tips can be used to guide the catheter into the target vessel.
  Cardiac catheterization (cardiac cath or heart cath) is a procedure to examine how well your heart is working. A thin, hollow tube called a catheter is inserted into a large blood vessel that leads to your heart. A cardiac cath provides information on how well your heart works, identifies problems and allows for procedures to open blocked arteries. The doctor will make a needle puncture through your skin and into a large blood vessel.  A small straw-sized tube (called a sheath) will be inserted into the vessel. The doctor will gently guide a catheter (a long, thin tube) into your vessel through the sheath. A video screen will show the position of the catheter as it is threaded through the major blood vessels and to the heart. You may feel some pressure in your groin, but you shouldn't feel any pain.
  Various instruments may be placed at the tip of the catheter. They include instruments to measure the pressure of blood in each heart chamber and in blood vessels connected to the heart, view the interior of blood vessels, take blood samples from different parts of the heart, or remove a tissue sample (biopsy) from inside the heart.
  The catheter used for hemodialysis is a tunneled catheter because it is placed under the skin. There are two types of tunneled catheters: cuffed or non-cuffed. Non-cuffed tunneled catheters are used for emergencies and for short periods (up to 3 weeks). Tunneled cuffed catheters, a type recommended by the NKF for temporary access, can be used for longer than 3 weeks when:
  - An AV fistula or graft has been placed but is not yet ready for use.
  - There are no other options for permanent access. For example, when a patient's blood vessels are not strong enough for a fistula or graft.
  Catheters have two openings inside; one is a red (arterial) opening to draw blood from your vein and out of your body into the dialysis pathway and the other is a blue (venous) opening that allows cleaned blood to return to your body.
  Hemodialysis is a treatment used when your kidneys fail (Stage 5 Kidney Disease) and can no longer clean your blood and remove extra fluid from your body. A hemodialysis access or vascular access is a way to reach your blood for hemodialysis.
caption: Various settings of a 6 French pigtail catheter with locking string, obturator (also called stiffening cannula) and puncture needle. 
  A. Overview 
  B. Both puncture needle and obturator engaged, allowing for direct insertion. 
  C. Puncture needle retracted. Obturator engaged. Used for example in steady advancement of the catheter on a guidewire.
  D. Both obturator and puncture needle retracted, when the catheter is in place. 
  E. Locking string is pulled (bottom center) and then wrapped and attach to the superficial end of the catheter.
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