Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure in which a long, thin tube called a catheter is guided into the heart, usually through a blood vessel in the arm or leg.  Once inside the heart, it can be used to diagnose a problem or to treat a problem.  By gaining access to the beating heart, cardiac catheterization allows a cardiologist to check the internal blood pressure of the heart, asess blood supply, view the coronary arteries on the surface of the heart and (depending on whether another test is done) the aorta, and check the oxygen level in the blood.  It is also used to evaluate the ability of the pumping chambers to contract, as well as to assess valvular function. 

Our cardiac catheterization team specializes in this diagnostic procedure.  During the procedure, a small catheter is inserted through a tiny incision made by the physician (in the groin, arm or wrist), then guided up through the blood vessel to the heart.  The physician tracks the course of the catheter by watching it on a fluososcope, an xray machine that displays the catheter and blood vessels in real time on a screen.  A variety of measurements may be performed when the catheter is in place, and then the catheter is removed.  After about 6 hours of recovery time, most patients are free to go home.   Cardiac catheterization is one of the most accurate tests available in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.