Your heart is in good hands at Luminis Health. Our skilled cardiac and vascular specialists diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of heart diseases. And cardiac catheterization is one of our specialties.
What Is Cardiac Catheterization?
Cardiac catheterization is a procedure that lets us see inside your heart's blood vessels using a hollow tube called a "catheter." We thread the catheter from an artery in your arm or groin to your heart.
Your doctor may order a cardiac catheterization if you have a cardiac condition or symptoms of heart disease. This procedure can:
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Check how well your heart works.
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Determine if you have blockages in any coronary (heart) arteries.
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Evaluate how your heart's valves work.
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Diagnose problems with your heart and figure out the best way to fix them.
If needed, we can perform life-saving procedures during cardiac catheterization. These include:
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Angioplasty, in which we open a blocked artery with a tiny balloon.
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Stenting, in which we insert a device to keep the artery open for longer.
Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure. About 90% of the time, we use radial catheterization — the latest approach, in which the catheter goes into an artery in your arm. This method reduces your risk of bleeding and speeds up your recovery time.