Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac catheterization is a procedure used to diagnose and treat a range of heart conditions, including coronary artery disease.

During a cardiac catheterization, the physician threads a thin, flexible tube called a catheter through a blood vessel in your arm, groin or neck and into your heart. The doctor looks for signs of heart disease using X-rays and determines the size and location of fat and calcium deposits that may narrow the openings in the arteries.

Cardiac Catheterization Treatments

The team at Rancho Springs Hospital can perform catheterization procedures, including:

Transradial Cardiac Catheterization (through the wrist): For increased safety and greater comfort, cardiologists can perform cardiac catheterization procedures through an artery in your wrist.

Coronary Angioplasty: Instead of open-heart surgery, angioplasty uses a balloon-tipped catheter to unblock a coronary artery. To prevent the re-narrowing of arteries, stents (small, flexible tubes made of plastic or wire mesh) are sometimes used to support the damaged artery walls. 

Thrombolysis: To improve blood flow and help prevent damage to tissue and organs, thrombolysis treats blockages in blood vessels by dissolving blood clots to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT).