What is a Catheterism?

In a heart catheterism, a small catheter (a hollow tube) is introduced and slips through a sanguine vessel from the groin to the aorta towards the interior of the heart. Once the catheter is in the appropriate place, various diagnosis techniques are used. The tip of the catheter can be locate in diverse parts of the heart to measure the pressure inside the cameras. The catheter can also be adavnaced towards the coronary arteries and through it inject contrast agent. Using fluoroscopy (a special type of rays X), the doctor can see where the coronary arteries are obstructed, observing the movement of the contrat agent through the arteries. Patients are awake during the whole procedure, although they will be given a small dose of a sedative before beginning the procedure. Due to the advances in the knowledge, the technology and the techniques, the heart catheterism is often carried out in an ambulatory way, sport of speak, the procedure is carried out early in the morning or in the afternoon and the patient can be dismissed to home that same day or the following one. However, the catheterism can be perfomed on already hospitalized patients, therefore they should continue in the hospital after the procedure. Also, some patients that before were in their house, after the procedure they are entered in the hospital in certain circumstances.

How is carried out a heart Catheterism?

Before beginning the procedure, the patientwill receive instructions on what should make the night previous to the exam. This instructions could include no eating, neither drink during six or more hours before the procedure, and some changes in the medications. Once the preparations for the procedure have been completed, the patient will be taken to the procedure room. When beginning the procedure, patients will be intraveous channeled; in the hand or the arm to inject him medications or to administer him intravenous fluids. Patient will be shaved and wash with an antiseptic soap in the area which the catheter will be will introduced(the groin or the arm). a sedative will be injected before beginning the procedure. The temperature of the room will be fresh. You will be put on bed in a table of X rays hard but padded, the patient is connected to the devices that will monitor the rhythm of the heart, the pressure of the blood and the oxygen levels. At all times, patients are accompanied by a nurse. Please, ask questions whenever you feel like. You eill be put to face up during the whole procedure. There will be several monitor screens in the room, your vital signs will appear on them, others will display images of the catheter moving through the body toward the heart and the structures of the heart when the contrast agent si injected. The catheterism laboratory is a sterile area, all people inside the room will be wearing sterile uniforms, caps and masks. The doctor and the assistants that carry out the procedure will also wear sterile gloves. Above the table you will see a tube of X rays to obtain images of the procedure.
Once the medication has taken effect, the doctor it will insert a catheter in the artery or vein and it will advance it until reach the insides of the heart or the area of interest. It is very important that you remain still during the procedure so that the catheter doesn't move and to avoid lesions in the insertion place. The catheter will be moved to the left side of the heart, or both, depending on what the doctor is looking for. The pressures of diverse places will be obtained inside the structures of the heart. Sometimes blood sample samples are obtained to evaluate the oxygen levels in diverse places of the heart. Ithe doctor will inject contrast agent in one or more cavities of the heart to evaluate the flow of the blood and the structure of the heart. When the contrast agent is injected, you could notice a sensation of heat or even suffocation. This sensation will only last few seconds. The catheter is also moved towards the coronary arteries, where contrast agent is injected to determine if obstructions exist and, if it is that they exist, where they are located. In some moments during the procedure, iyou could asked to breathe deep and hold your breath for a few seconds. They can also ask u to cough during the procedure. If you note any nuisance or pain, as pain in the chest, in the neck, in the jaw, back pain or the arm, diffiicult breathing, you should tell inmediately to the doctor.
The doctor or an assistant will press the area of insertion for around 12 or 20 minutes, so the blood can begin to clot and the area of insertion stops bleeding. When the doctor or the assistant consider that the wound has stopped bleeding, they will put a small bandage in the area. Patiene will be moved from the table to a strecher and then moved to the recovery area. You can bend your leg in which incition mas made for several hours. . If you notice heat, bled, pain in the area of the catheter, oppression or tension in the chest or some other pain after the procedure, you should notify immediately to the nurse. If you cough, to sneeze or augh, press the bandage on the place of the insertion. The contrast agent will remain in yoursystem during some time and youwill have to to urinate frequently. It is very important to remember no to bend the leg where the catheter was inserted. You can have a slight meal after the procedure. Once the obligatory time of rest has passed in the bed, pantients will be able to lift the head of the bed and to move. Before a discharge to leave home, the nurse will give him instructions on the cares of the place of the catheter insertion and the problems or symptoms on those that the patient should inform, and other instructions regarding to activities and medications. If the procedure is carried out in an ambulatory way, patient will be allowed to leave once it has finished the recovery process, generally some six or eight hours after the finalization of the procedure. It is probable you feel tired one day or two after the procedure. The place of the catheter insertion in the leg or arm could be aching during some days. You could have some other pain or nuisance during one day or two due to the period of time that has been put to bed during the procedure and the period of recovery. For what reason a heart catheterism is made?

Your doctor can schedule a heart catheterism if you have suffered one or more episodes of heart symptoms recently, among those are, but without being limited to the following ones:

- Pain in the chest.
- Difficulty when breathing.
- Sickness.
- Tireness
- Or a combination of some of these symptoms.


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