The Catheterization Program

—a joint community oriented program of diagnostic care.

Community health care is important to us all. That’s why Benedictine and Kingston Hospitals have joined forces to provide our community with the latest in diagnostic services for cardiac care.

Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac Catheterization is a diagnostic test from which your physician can determine pressures in each chamber of the heart, the condition of each valve, the pumping capability of the heart muscle and the blood supply through the coronary arteries.

A catheter is a small, flexible tube. The catheterization is the process of inserting that tube into a blood vessel and then gently and painlessly advancing it into the heart. The procedure makes it possible to determine the ability of the coronary arteries to deliver oxygenated blood to the heart muscle, and to examine the heart muscle function itself.

Heart catheterization is the only procedure available which allows your physician to accurately determine the presence, degree and location of coronary artery disease. Based on this test your physician will prescribe the proper treatment.

The Procedure

During the procedure, in which you will be mildly sedated, your doctor will insert one or more catheters into an artery, a vein or both, located in either your arm or groin. Using an X-Ray monitor to guide the catheter toward your heart, your doctor may ask you to help by breathing deeply, holding your breath or coughing.

One of the most important reasons for doing a catheterization is to fully understand and visualize the blood flowing through the heart and coronary arteries. The process of injecting dye into a catheter is known as angiography. X-Ray images are then produced by which your physician can locate blockages. Cardiac catheterization is an angiography study of the heart. Cardiac catheterization can also show the motion of the heart wall and the leakage of blood back through the valves.

The Catheterization Laboratory

The catheterization laboratory is a large area filled with electronic equipment. Not all of the cameras, monitors or instruments will be necessary for your procedure. They are there, set up and ready to use in case they are needed. The medical staff will be dressed in scrubs and will answer any question you may have.

You will lie on your back on a special table and a nurse will attach small electrodes connecting you to a heart monitor. You will receive a small IV catheter into your left arm in case your physician wants you to receive any medication or fluids during the procedure.

You will be shaved and sterilized around the area where the catheter will be inserted. Sterile drapes will be placed over you to minimize the risk of infection. The entire process of getting you ready for the procedure takes about 1 hour. You will then be given a local anesthetic, which may feel like a bee sting and creates only temporary discomfort.

What You Need to Do Before Your Procedure

  • The angiography may cause nausea so an empty stomach is advised.
  • Morning procedure: no food or drink from Midnight on
  • Afternoon procedure: liquid breakfast
  • Prescribed medications are OK if taken with water
  • Please arrive an hour before your scheduled appointment
  • Once in the facility you will change into a hospital gown and will be asked some questions about your general health.
  • You will be asked to empty your bladder
  • A sedative will be administered to help you relax.
  • The procedure takes about 2 hours.

You may visit with family and friends before and after the procedure. Please make arrangements to have someone drive you home. And it is advisable to have someone stay with you the night after the procedure in case you need assistance.

What To Expect During Your Procedure

  • The traditional approach to the heart is done through the groin although your physician may elect to go through your arm. You will not experience any pain as there are no nerve endings in the artery.
  • You may feel some pressure in the leg (or arm). This is normal.
  • The lights in the room may be dimmed and you may also hear the noise of the camera as it moves.
  • The table you are lying on will also move to improve the view of the heart and the coronary arteries.
  • Follow the directions provided by your physician. If you are asked to give a deep and hard cough, it is important that you do so immediately. This will clear any dye from the heart.
  • If you have any chest pain please inform the medical staff immediately.
  • When the dye is inserted you may feel a warm flush sensation all over your body. This is normal.
  • Once the procedure is completed your incision will be closed with a suture (if it’s in your arm) or manual pressure applied on your groin for about 20 minutes until the bleeding stops.

What to Expect After Your Procedure

Once the procedure is completed you will be returned to your room and monitored by the nursing staff. How long you stay in the room will be up to your physician. You should move as little as possible. You will be asked to drink an increased amount of fluid to help flush out the dye in your system. If the incision was done at the groin your nurse will help you with a bedpan.

As the anesthetic wears off you may experience some numbness or tingling in the arm or leg. This is normal. The area around where the catheter was inserted may also be tender.
After the recovery period you may go home. Ask your physician about how quickly you can return to normal activities. Finally, you will receive written instructions on the care of your incision.