This procedure is most often done to evaluate the health conditions of people who often experience chest pain. Chest pain is probably a symptom of coronary heart disease. Apart from chest pain, there are various reasons why doctors do cardiac catheterization.
Indications for Cardiac Catheterization
Here are some of the uses of cardiac catheterization:
Evaluate blood flow and oxygen in various parts of your heart.
Assessing the strength of the heart muscle pumps blood throughout the body.
See how well the heart valve performs.
Treat coronary heart disease and heart attacks.
Plan the right treatment. Especially if you are recovering from a heart attack but still feel chest pain, get the results of a medical examination that shows that you have heart disease, or you have a heart attack that causes the heart to be severely damaged.
Correct heart defects with minor surgery.
Take a sample of the heart muscle to find out if you have a heart infection or tumor.
Check for congenital heart disease in children.
This is the procedure for cardiac catheterization
The cardiac catheterization procedure is performed by a cardiologist in the hospital. During cardiac catheterization, you will remain aware and can follow all directions from the doctor. When going through a cardiac catheterization procedure, the medical team will inject sedative drugs that will make you feel calm.
Then, the cleaning and shaving process is carried out in the area to be inserted into the catheter, which is a device such as a flexible thin tube. After cleaning, the doctor will inject a local anesthetic so you don't feel sick when the catheterization is done.
The catheterization process begins by making a small hole in the vein, followed by the installation of a tube in the hole, to keep the mouth of the hole open. Then, the doctor will insert a guiding wire from the vascular hole to the heart chamber. After that, the catheter is inserted following the guiding wire from the blood vessels to the heart. The guiding wire will be pulled back and removed, while the catheter will remain inside.
Then, the doctor will insert a contrast dye into the catheter. The monitor will record the condition of your heart as seen from the travel of contrast dye in blood vessels. The results of this recording will appear on the operating room's monitor screen making it easier for doctors to see the state of your heart. Finally, the doctor can start doing tests, treatment, or any medical action needed according to your condition.
During cardiac catheterization, the doctor can also do a coronary angiogram or cardiac angiography. This procedure is done to find out whether you have a coronary artery disorder or not.
After the heart catheterization process is complete, you will be taken to the recovery room for several hours. As long as in this room, you are required to sleep on your back with straight leg conditions and not get out of bed. The medical team will then close the catheterization hole area to stop bleeding. Heart rate, pulse, and blood pressure will also be checked.
Risks that may occur
Every medical action, especially those related to the heart and blood vessels, certainly has risks. Similarly, cardiac catheterization. Here are some risks that might occur:
Bleeding.
Bruises.
Infection.
Blood clots.
Allergic reactions to drugs or contrast substances.
Damage to the arteries and heart tissue.
Heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmia).
Kidney damage.
Heart attack.
Stroke.
Emboli or the entry of air into the blood vessels.
If you are referred to a cardiac catheterization by a doctor, prepare yourself as well as possible. Usually, you will be asked to fast at least six hours before the procedure is done. If you are taking medication, consult this matter with your doctor. Inform your doctor if you have an allergy to drugs or any substance, to prevent things that are not desirable, both during and after heart catheterization.
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