Your physician has ordered this test in order to learn:

• Whether the blood vessels giving blood to your heart muscle are narrowed or blocked
• How well your heart is pumping
• If your heart valves are working properly
• If you were born with any heart defects
• If your heart has been damaged by disease

Your doctor may recommend a cardiac catheterization based upon your symptoms, medical history, physical exam and other related diagnostic studies.

DIRECTIONS     This test is performed at NSMC Salem Hospital, in the cardiac catheterization lab located on Phippen 5. Once at the hospital, park in the lot near the Wheelock 5 entrance.

Step by step:

• A cardiologist will perform the procedure with a specialized team of nurses, physician assistants and cardiovascular technologists.
• Your nurse will prepare you for your cardiac catheterization.
• You will wear a hospital gown and will have an intravenous needle placed in your arm. 
• The catheterization site, usually the groin but may also be the arm, will be cleansed and shaved.
• Heart monitors will be placed on your chest. 
• During the procedure, a flexible tube called a catheter will be placed into a blood vessel on your groin or arm. This catheter will be guided toward your heart. Dye will be injected into each coronary artery while an x-ray camera takes pictures. The team will view those pictures on screens above you to see inside your heart.
• The procedure is not painful. You will receive a topical anesthetic, but may feel a little discomfort during the insertion of the catheter into your groin.
• You will remain awake during the procedure. Your nurse can give you medications through the intravenous to keep you comfortable.
• The complete procedure may take one to two hours.
• Please arrange for a family member or friend to drive you home after the procedure. After one-day of rest at home, you may return to your usual level of activity unless told otherwise.
• You will receive discharge Instructions prior to going home. Please contact your cardiologist or Primary Care Provider with any questions.

FOLLOW UP     The cardiologist performing the procedure will discuss the results of the diagnostic procedure at the time of the procedure. Sometimes, if cardiologists find a blockage or narrowing of the coronary artery, they can perform another procedure to improve blood flow to the heart. This procedure is called balloon angioplasty. After balloon angioplasty, a stent may be placed in the artery. A stent is a tiny, scaffold-like structure that holds the artery open permanently. Depending on the type of stent, it may also deliver medication to prevent plaque or other material from building up again and causing another blockage. Whether your angioplasty includes a stent or not, you will be admitted to the hospital for the night for observation.