How serious is a heart cath?
The most common risks of cardiac catheterization include bleeding or hematoma. Rare risks include reaction to contrast dye, impaired kidney function due to contrast dye, abnormal heart rhythm, and infection. Extremely rare complications (<1%) include heart attack, stroke, need for emergent cardiac surgery, and death.
Is a heart cath a major surgery?
Cardiac catheterization is not considered a surgical procedure because there is no large incision used to open the chest, and the recovery time is much shorter than that of surgery. In some cases, surgery may be recommended afterward, depending on the results of the procedure.
Which vein is used for cardiac catheterization?
The majority of right heart catheterization procedures in the cardiac catheterization laboratory are performed via the femoral vein, even when left heart catheterization is performed transradially. Femoral vein puncture necessitates bed rest after hemostasis, with an increase in access site complications.
Can a Cath be performed on the left heart?
Left heart cath can also be performed by using the artery in the arm. If a catheter is also placed in the right femoral vein to measure pressures within the right side of the heart, the procedure is called “right heart” catheterization.
What does Cath stand for in medical category?
Cardiac Catheterization (Cath) is also known as Heart Cath, Angiogram (Angio) (pronounced an-gee-o-gram) or Arteriogram (pronounced ar-tee-rio-gram). The latter two terms describe the use of contrast material to take x-ray pictures of the heart.
What do you need to know about cardiac catheterization?
What is cardiac catheterization? Cardiac catheterization (cardiac cath or heart cath) is a procedure to examine how well your heart is working. A thin, hollow tube called a catheter is inserted into a large blood vessel that leads to your heart. View an illustration of cardiac catheterization. .
How can I watch my cardiac cath on the monitor?
You can watch your cardiac cath on the monitors. The nurse will clean your skin at the site where the catheter (narrow plastic tube) will be inserted (arm or groin). The catheter insertion site may be shaved. Sterile drapes are used to cover the site and help prevent infection.