Cardiac catheterization and arterial dilatation

Cardiac catheterization

What is a cardiac catheterization?

A procedure that includes the insertion of a special wire through the femoral artery guided by the needle the doctor gently directs the wire through the artery down to the heart and then pulls the needle and put replaced by a small flexible tube then the doctor passes the flexible catheter tube on the wire until it reaches the heart then the doctor injects a special dye to monitor the blockage using an X-ray device called “fluoroscop” after monitoring the location of the blockage the doctor inserts a flexible wire in The beginning of a special balloon in the artery and directing the wire to the site of the blockage then when the balloon reaches the site of the blockage the doctor inflates the balloon repeatedly inside the blockage area to expand the place of blockage and therefore the blood flow returns inside the artery and in some cases the patient is placed a wired network designed to support the artery wall to prevent narrowing again.

Why does the patient need a cardiac catheterization?

Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure at the same time for health problems caused by heart disease and heart valve diseases.

The doctor will use the cardiac catheter in the diagnosis and treatment of the following conditions:

Heart valve diseases.
Coronary artery diseases. Cardiovascular disease.
Congenital heart disease.
Heart failure.

The cardiac catheterization enables your doctor to find out:

Locate the stenosis or blockage of the blood vessels.
Diagnosis of heart valve diseases.
Take a biopsy of the heart tissue.
Check for clots in the blood vessels.
Detection of congenital heart diseases that occur from birth.
Assessing heart function in blood pumping.

Instructions you should do if you have a heart catheter appointment:

Do not drink or eat anything six hours before your cardiac catheterization.
Inform your doctor about taking blood-free medications because your doctor may ask you to stop them before the procedure.
Inform your doctor of all the medications you are taking and it is best to bring them with you so that your doctor can see the scientific names and doses of your medications.
Inform your doctor if you are taking diabetes medications such as metformin because the fluoroscopic imaging dye may increase the adverse effects of diabetes medications.
If the patient is pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you should inform your doctor.

Before performing a cardiac catheterization, the following is expected to be performed:

Measure blood pressure and pulse in addition to emptying the bladder.
Take off anything metal you carry such as mobile, metal accessories and rings as they clutter the cardiology and vessels during the procedure.
Nursing should shave the place where the catheter is inserted from the hair before starting the procedure.
Place electrodes on the chest to monitor the heartbeat from the beginning to the end of the procedure.

Recovery after a cardiac catheterization:

The patient is expected to wake up after several hours after the procedure, i.e. after the patient has recovered from anesthesia.
After the patient leaves the operating room, he is transferred to another room within the hospital.
It is also expected that the patient will feel pain at the place of insertion of the catheter that lasts for several days after the procedure and you should tell your doctor if the patient has bleeding, swelling or increased pain where the catheter is inserted.
The length of stay in the hospital after a cardiac catheterization depends on the general condition of the patient and the reason behind the cardiac catheterization.

Mixings that may occur during cardiac catheterization:

It is obvious that any procedure in medicine is expected to be at risk and in the cardiac catheterization