What is meant by cardiac catheterisation and interventional procedures?
The term ‘cardiac catheterisation’ refers to the passage of a fine tube (called a catheter) into the heart chambers through a vein, or an artery, usually from the top of the right leg just below the groin. By this means, blood samples and pressure measurements can be obtained from within the various chambers of the heart. This provides much information about the effects of the heart problem on the function of the heart and on the lung circulation. Usually, X-ray dye is injected to obtain pictures of the heart chambers and vessels (angiocardiography). These tests are only required when adequate information cannot be obtained by other methods (e.g. echocardiography), or when the cardiologist advises that the heart problem needs special treatment involving heart catheterisation (called an ‘interventional procedure’). Procedures of this latter type may be used to stretch open a narrow valve or blood vessel, using a catheter with an inflatable balloon (Illustration). Alternatively, a tiny ‘
