Cardiac Catheterization
Cardiac catheterization enables physicians to see the coronary arteries and heart valves, showing narrowed or blocked arteries, defective valves, or other problems.
Cardiac catheterization is generally performed to diagnose a heart condition and determine whether a patient needs treatment to open a blocked artery or re-route the blood flow around it.
What to Expect
During a cardiac catheterization, a thin, flexible tube (catheter) is inserted through a blood vessel in the arm or groin and guided to the heart. Dye (x-ray contrast) is injected through the catheter and x-ray pictures are taken of the coronary arteries to see whether they are narrowed or blocked and to find plaque.
Crozer-Keystone performs more than 1,300 of these procedures a year.
Treatment with Catheterization
In addition to diagnosing heart conditions, cardiac catheterization is also used to treat blocked arteries, and includes the following procedures:
- Angioplasty
- Stents
- Atherectomy
Emergency Catheterization
In addition, cardiac catheterization can be used for cardiac emergencies, such as heart attacks. This requires cardiologists to perform Primary Angioplasty to quickly open narrowed or blocked arteries.
Locations
Locate an Interventional Cardiologist
Call 1-866-95-PULSE (1-866-957-8573) to find a Crozer-Keystone interventional cardiologist.
