Your doctor has recommended that you have a cardiac catheterization, a simple test to evaluate how well your heart and coronary arteries are working. The entire procedure, including 30 minutes of preparation, takes less than an hour.

This procedure is also known as a "dye test" or coronary angiogram. It's performed by passing a long tube into a blood vessel, located in the groin at the top part of the thigh, and advancing it painlessly into the heart where specific pressures are measured. The doctor takes x-rays as the dye is injected into the heart and coronary arteries. Following the procedure, your doctor will study these pictures of your heart, your coronary arteries and your heart valves.

How the Heart Works
To help you understand why your doctor feels a cardiac catheterization is necessary, a basic review of how the heart functions may be beneficial. The heart is a muscular organ divided into four chambers. The right side receives oxygen-poor blood from the body and pumps it to the lungs where it then picks up a new supply of oxygen. The left side of the heart receives oxygen-rich blood provided by the coronary arteries. There are three coronary arteries, the right, the left, and circumflex. These arteries branch into smaller arteries to provide the entire heart muscle with blood.

Getting Started
The first thing you will need to do is visit the Pre-admissions Unit to pre-register and have the required lab test done. Before you're admitted you'll have a nursing evaluation done at the hospital. The time and date of the appointment will be provided. Please allow about two hours to complete the nursing assessment, and to get an EKG (electrocardiogram), a chest x-ray and lab tests. You'll be asked to sign a consent form. Remember that this is a test to evaluate your heart condition, and not a corrective procedure. During the assessment you will be told:

1. What time to report to the hospital
2. Where to report
3. What you can eat
4. What medication you should take that morning

CONTINUED >