The patient will be instructed to fast for six to eight hours before the cath procedure and given instructions on what to eat and drink before that.
After having the full medical history, a doctor may ask the patient to stop some of these medications before the procedure.
During the procedure
A nurse will insert an IV line into the patient’s vein in the arm before the cath procedure for the sedative administration. The patient may stay awake.
After using local anesthesia, the doctor will use a needle to insert it into a large vessel so that he can insert the sheath into that vessel to guide the catheter through it. This step is usually painless but the patient may feel some pressure in the groin.
for measuring blood pressure in each heart chamber and blood arteries, many tools can be placed at the tip of the catheter. They can be used to see the inside of blood vessels, take blood samples from various sections of the heart, or remove a tissue sample (biopsy) from the heart.
Using a catheter, a doctor can inject a dye to be seen on an X-ray, in a process called angiography.
A doctor can also use it to clear a restricted or blocked artery, in a process called angioplasty or PCI.
If a doctor used it to widen a narrowed heart valve opening, this procedure is called valvuloplasty.
After removing the catheter and sheath, a nurse should apply some pressure to the insertion site to reduce the risk of bleeding and usually, they use a closing device.
The whole procedure takes around an hour.
After the procedure
After going to the recovery room, a patient will be asked to stay in bed for a while and keep his leg straight.
If the patient showed any signs of chest pain or bleeding, they should inform the doctor.
The patient should receive written instructions to follow when they leave the hospital.
After getting home, a patient should follow the doctor’s instructions and take the mediations as directed, they should follow up with the doctor if they noticed any abnormalities or complications to the cardiac catheterization.