When Is an Interventional Cardiac Catheterization Procedure Used?
Some catheterization procedures are preferred over heart surgery to treat certain heart defects. This is because they’re less invasive, have fewer risks and complications, and have a shorter recovery period. An interventional cardiac catheterization procedure can be used to: • Open heart valves or blood vessels. A balloon at the end of a catheter is inflated and deflated one or more times to open a valve or widen a blood vessel. A catheter may also be used to place a wire mesh tube (stent) in a blood vessel. This is a tiny device used to widen and keep open a blood vessel. • Close holes or blood vessels. A catheter is used to guide a device such as a coil or plug into the heart. This is usually done to close a hole in the heart or a blood vessel in or around the heart.
