Cardiac Catheterization
A diagnostic cardiac catheterization is a procedure done to diagnose heart disease, including coronary artery disease, and discover the location and extent of the disease. If left undiscovered and untreated, blockage or narrowing in the coronary arteries may cause a heart attack or death.
During a cardiac catheterization, a thin catheter (tube) is inserted in an artery of the body, such as the femoral, brachial or radial arteries, and carefully passed to the heart. Once the catheter is correctly placed in the heart, dye (contrast) is injected and X-rays are taken. The contrast allows the coronary arteries to be seen and assessed for blockage or narrowing.
Below are our quality measures that specifically relate to a procedure called a cardiac catheterization.