A cardiac catheterization provides measurements of cardiac output and pressures within the heart and the major vessels going to and from the heart. During the test, a catheter (or hollow tube) is inserted through a large blood vessel and into the heart and is used to obtain these measurements. A dye is injected into the catheter that makes it easier to view the arteries and the structure of the heart by X-ray.
A special camera is then used to determine how much of the dye is ejected from the heart with each beat. The infusion of dye typically produces a characteristic “hot flash” sensation throughout the body that lasts 10 to 15 seconds. Cardiologists perform catheterizations on patients with angina and in patients with a history of heart attack to determine if coronary artery disease is causing heart failure.
This procedure produces X-ray images of the coronary arteries called angiograms, as well as images of the left ventricle. They are used to monitor heart function. Major complications of angiography are rare (about 0.1 percent) but they can occur. They include stroke, heart attacks, and kidney damage. The more experienced the medical center in this procedure, the lower the risk.