Coronary artery catheterization is a relatively new, safe, and effective minimally invasive procedure that allows access to the circulatory system and heart without the need for invasive open-chest surgery. Coronary artery catheterization can be used to diagnose and treat many common cardiovascular conditions. In some cases, the diagnostic procedure and treatment can be performed during the same procedure, minimizing downtime and improving the patient experience.
Coronary artery catheterization is most commonly used for:
Balloon angioplasty and stenting
Ablating heart tissue to treat arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats, such as atrial fibrillation
Replacing faulty valves with a TAVR procedure
Cardiac catheterization is performed in an advanced catheterization laboratory. The time required for a cardiac catheterization varies depending on the procedure and whether the catheterization is purely for diagnostic purposes or as a follow-up intervention. Some catheterizations may require only a few hours of preparation and procedure time, while others may take an entire day. However, most procedures performed with cardiac catheterizations offer shorter procedure times, shorter hospital stays, and shorter recovery times compared to open-chest surgery.
Benefits of Cardiac Catheterization
The most obvious benefit of cardiac catheterization is that it can often replace invasive open techniques for certain procedures and eligible patients.
Patients who are at moderate risk for open surgery and may not be candidates for surgery may benefit from the minimally invasive nature of cardiac catheterization. In addition, the benefits extend to the postoperative period, with significantly reduced risks of infection, blood loss, death, and other serious complications compared to more invasive procedures.
Risks of Cardiac Catheterization
Of course, as with any surgery, there are risks associated with cardiac catheterization. Many of these risks are related to the procedure being performed, and we will discuss these risks during consultation with our surgeons. However, the most common risks of cardiac catheterization are perforation of the vessel wall through which the catheter is passed and infection at the insertion site. Both of these complications are rare, and the former can be mitigated by selecting an experienced surgeon.
Most cardiac catheterizations use fluoroscopy or continuous X-rays to help the surgeon see exactly where the catheter is positioned. For patient populations that are sensitive to relatively high doses of radiation, further discussion is necessary to ensure that the benefits of the procedure outweigh the risks.
Cardiac catheterization improves the safety and effectiveness of many of the procedures we offer. As such, this technology has become an increasing focus of our practice. Cardiac catheterization represents a technological leap forward that has greatly improved the patient experience.
