What is Cardiac Catheterization and Coronary Angiography?
Cardiac catheterization is a test to check your heart and coronary arteries. It is used to check blood flow in the coronary arteries, blood flow and blood pressure in the chambers of the heart, find out how well the heart valves work, and check for defects in the way the wall of the heart moves. This test is also used to check for heart problems that have been present since birth (congenital heart defect). One of the more common diseases that a heart patient can have is coronary artery disease, or plaque build-up with obstruction in the coronary arteries. Coronary angiography is a component of a cardiac catheterization procedure in which dye is injected into the opening of the coronary arteries in order to find out if you have disease in your coronary arteries, and, if so, pinpoint the location of the plaque and the severity of the blockage that may have built up. This is generally done to determine whether you may need bypass surgery or angioplasty.
