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What to Expect During a Cardiac Catheterization

Posted: April 1, 2007

Cardiac catheterization is a medical procedure used to diagnose and treat certain heart conditions. A long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter is put into a blood vessel in the arm, upper thigh (groin), or neck and threaded up into the heart.

During a cardiac catheterization, you are kept on your back and awake. That way you can follow your doctor’s instructions during the procedure. You are given a drug to help you relax. This drug may make you sleepy.

Your doctor or nurse will numb the area where the catheter will enter the blood vessel through a small cut or needle in the arm, upper thigh or neck. Once the catheter is at the right spot, your doctor can use it to conduct several tests or treatments. Often, special dye is put in the tube to make the inside of the heart’s arteries and other structures show up on an X-ray. Your doctor may use a procedure called angioplasty to open up the blocked arteries. He or she may also take blood samples from different parts of the heart or do minor heart surgery.

Once your doctor does all of the needed tests or treatments, the catheter will be taken out. The opening in the blood vessel that the tube went through will then be closed up and bandaged. A small sandbag or other type of weight may be put on top of the bandage to apply more pressure. This will help prevent major bleeding from the site.

What happens after a cardiac catheterization?
After a cardiac catheterization, you will be moved to a special care area where you will stay for several hours or overnight. While you recover in this area, your movement will be limited to avoid bleeding from where the catheter was inserted. Nurses will check your heart rate and blood pressure regularly. They will also check to see if there is any bleeding from the tube insertion site.

Eventually, a small bruise will appear where the tube was put in. That area may feel sore or tender for about a week. Be sure to let your doctor know if:

• You have a constant or large amount of blood at the site that cannot be stopped with a small bandage.
• You have any unusual pain, swelling, redness, or other signs of infection at or near the insertion site.

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