Before you get recommended for cardiac catheterization, your doctor will thoroughly review your medical test results and health history. If you are allergic to radio-iodinated contrast material, your doctor may ask you to take corticosteroids and antihistamines. Patients with chronic kidney disease need adequate pre-hydration and planning to reduce the risk of worsening kidney function. Follow your doctor’s instructions in preparation for your cardiac catheterization.
How Is Cardiac Cath Performed?
A doctor with special training works with the support of radiologic technologists and registered nurses to perform the cardiac catheterization procedure safely. Various tools may be placed at the catheter’s tip, such as those used for:
- Measuring blood pressure in heart chambers
- Removing a tissue sample from the heart
- Taking blood samples from different parts of the heart
- Viewing the blood vessel interior
Most cardiac cath procedures can be performed with moderate or minimal local anesthetic sedation. It can last for about an hour. Local anesthesia means a small body area is numbed, and the patient remains conscious. A lower sedative dosage will keep you conscious and able to follow instructions during the procedure.
Some heart catheterization procedures require patients to undergo general anesthesia, so they remain unconscious. Here’s an overview of the step-by-step process in a cardiac cath lab:
- A nurse will put an intravenous line into your arm’s vein where a sedative will pass through, helping you relax.
- The nurse will clean and shave your body area where the doctor will puncture. A local anesthetic may be used to numb this area.
- The doctor will pierce through your skin and into a large blood vessel where a sheath (a straw-sized tube) will be inserted.
- The doctor will insert a catheter through the sheath and into your vessel.
- A video monitor will show the location of the catheter as the doctor guides it through your major blood vessels and to the heart.
- The doctor performs a cardiac catheterization procedure.
- The doctor removes the sheath and catheter.
- The nurse will put pressure on the puncture site to prevent bleeding.
What Happens After Cardiac Cath?
You will be transferred to a recovery room where you will have to lie flat on a bed and your vital signs checked. Keep your legs straight and immediately report if you experience chest pain, bleeding or swelling at the puncture site. You will receive written instructions before you leave the hospital.
Most cardiac cath patients can return to their routines the day after their procedure, depending on whether additional interventions were performed during their appointment. Ensure you follow all instructions and take your medications as prescribed. Attend follow-up appointments.
A bruised puncture site is normal. If it bleeds, lie flat and press it firmly for a few minutes, then check if the bleeding has stopped. Call your doctor if:
- The puncture site’s bruising worsens, or the bleeding does not stop even after pressing on it
- There is swelling or fluid draining from the puncture site
- Your leg with the puncture site tingles or becomes numb, or your foot turns blue or feels cold