Cardiac Catheterisation

Cardiac catheterisation is an invasive procedure used to see if you have a disease of the heart muscle, valves or coronary arteries, and to treat certain heart conditions. It is sometimes called a coronary angiogram or cardiac angiography.

A long thin tube, called a catheter, is inserted into your artery or vein in your groin or arm and is passed into your heart using X-ray scanning.

You will have a local anaesthetic to numb the area where the catheter is put in. You will be linked to a heart monitor that records your heart rate and rhythm.

A special dye, called a contrast dye, is injected to allow your doctor to see any narrowing or blockages in your coronary arteries. They may also take a detailed look at your left heart chamber.

Your doctor can perform heart disease treatment at the same time if needed. This includes coronary angioplasty and coronary stenting to open or help widen heart arteries and improve blood flow to your heart.

Cardiac catheterisation is invasive and treatments can be carried out at the same time. This means it is often used for patients who have a known, or who are high risk of, coronary artery disease. These patients can benefit from diagnosis and stent or angioplasty treatment as one procedure.

Cardiac catheterisation is done to see if you have a heart problem and to treat a known heart problem.

A diagnostic cardiac catheterisation test can help your doctor to:

• Locate narrowing or blockages in your coronary arteries that can cause chest pain in angina and blood clots in a heart attack.
• Measure blood pressure and oxygen levels in the four chambers of your heart.
• Evaluate the pumping ability of your heart.
• Take a small sample of heart tissue to examine under a microscope (biopsy).
• Diagnose congenital heart defects.
• Look for problems with your heart valves or chambers.

Cardiac catheterisation is also used as part of some treatment procedures for heart disease including:

• Angioplasty - widening narrowed artery, with or without a stent
• Congenital defect repair - closing holes in the heart
• Heart valve repair or replacement
• Balloon valvuloplasty - opening narrow heart valves
• Ablation – to treat irregular heart rhythms
• Blood clot prevention – by closing off part of your heart.

Recovery time for a diagnostic cardiac catheterisation is quick.

You can expect to go home the same day after a diagnostic heart catheterisation or coronary angiogram. If you have treatment during your heart catheterisation, you may need to stay in hospital overnight or longer.

You should follow your doctor’s advice and instructions regarding your recovery and medications.

We will arrange a follow-up appointment for you to check how you are doing after your procedure.

You can expect to return to your normal activities the day after the procedure if no other interventions were performed. If your cardiac catheterisation was part of another procedure it may take longer until you can resume your daily activities.

You may have a small bruise where the catheter was inserted. This should go down after a week or so.

The cost of a cardiac catheterisation will depend on whether it is purely diagnostic or if it was performed as part of other heart treatment, as well as your Ramsay hospital of choice.

You will receive a formal quotation price for your cardiac catheterisation following your consultation with one of our expert cardiologists. This formal quote for cardiac catheterisation will be valid for 60 days.

Ramsay is recognised by all major medical insurers. Cardiac catheterisation is covered by most medical insurance policies. We advise you to obtain written authorisation from your insurance provider before having your cardiac catheterisation.

We have a number of finance options if you are paying for your cardiac catheterisation test yourself. We offer interest-free finance so you pay 0% interest, no deposit and benefit from affordable monthly instalments.