It takes 45 minutes to finish a cardiac catheterization. Following a coronary angiography, three major treatment pathways are available, depending on the degree and pattern of any blockages discovered in the coronary arteries: medication care, percutaneous coronary intervention, or heart surgery. In general, patients who have fewer problems with other parts of their bodies can be treated with just medications. Those who have more extensive disease may need both medications and procedures to open up blocked arteries. Finally, some very sick patients will need only a heart transplant to save their lives. During a cardiac catheterization, your doctor uses a small tube called a catheter to view your coronary arteries and any surrounding heart structures such as valves or wall muscles. The catheter is passed through an artery in your leg, into your chest, and then into your heart. Once inside your heart, the catheter allows your doctor to take images of the coronary arteries that could not be seen otherwise. These images help your doctor see how well blood is flowing through your coronary arteries and any possible blockages they may contain. A cardiac catheterization requires putting you under anesthesia for the length of the procedure. There are different types of anesthesia used for cardiac procedures, but all work by keeping you unconscious during the procedure. After you come out of anesthesia, you'll likely feel weak and sore after a cardiac catheterization because there is no muscle tissue in your heart.