Cardiac catheterization is a medical procedure that involves passing a thin, flexible tube, called a catheter, into the heart. The catheter is inserted into a vein in the arm, neck or groin and then threaded into the heart. The procedure is used...
The first cardiac catheterization boldly performed by Dr. Werner Forssmann, on himself, in 1929, marked the beginning of non-invasive heart surgery. Today, this procedure is primarily used to diagnose heart conditions and treat plaque buildup in...
Cardiac catheterization involves the passage of a catheter into a blood vessel in the leg or arm. The catheter is guided through the blood vessels into the cardiac chambers and coronary arteries. Doctors use cardiac catheterization to perform...
The American Heart Association describes cardiac catheterization as a procedure in physicians insert a long hollow thin tube into a blood vessel, and threads it through the blood vessels to the heart or the arteries connected to the heart. After...
A cardiac catheterization may be performed if a cardiologist suspects that a patient has heart disease or a heart defect. During the procedure a long, narrow tube, or catheter, is inserted into a patient's vein or artery within his neck, arm or...
Cardiac catheterizations are done by inserting a thin wire through an artery in the groin or arm and threading the wire into a coronary artery. The coronary arteries are the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. This procedure allows a...
During a cardiac catheterization, a cardiologist inserts a long thin tube called a catheter through the groin into the heart; a special x-ray machine is used to assist the physician. Once the catheter reaches the heart, the doctor injects dye to...
Coronary angioplasty and stent implantation are two of the most common procedures performed in the United States. The procedure is not surgery. It is a catheterization. A small hollow tube is inserted in to the femoral (leg) or radial (wrist)...
More than a million people a year have a heart attack in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronary artery disease, characterized by the accumulation of plaque in the vessels supplying the heart, is...
The word catheterization means to slip a tube into an organ. For example, a bladder catheterization is the passage of a tube--a catheter--through the urethra into the bladder. The most common invasive procedure done on the heart is a cardiac...
Cardiac catheterization is a procedure used to check the heart for problems, including blocked arteries and valve abnormalities. According to the Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals, the cardiologist inserts a long, thin catheter into an...
Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic procedure in which a narrow tube called a catheter is inserted into the blood vessels within the heart though a vein or artery in the arm, groin or neck. Once placed, the catheter is injected with a dye that...
The carotid artery is a major blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain. A blocked or narrowed carotid artert leads to less blood to the brain and increased risk for a stroke. In order to repair a blocked carotid artery, a procedure called...
Cardiac catheterization, also known as a coronary angiogram or cardiac cath, is considered an invasive imaging procedure. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a cardiac catheterization is used to determine coronary artery disease, valve disease or...
Heart catheterization, also known as cardiac catheterization, is a procedure performed by a cardiologist, or heart doctor. The doctor uses this procedure to diagnose or treat certain heart conditions, and to examine the overall condition of your...
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with coronary artery disease being the common most type, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Individuals who have a family history or suspect they may have...
The bladder, a muscular organ that stores and voids urine, requires communication between the muscles of the bladder wall, the sphincter muscle, the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder and the nerves surrounding the bladder. A neurogenic...
Congenital heart disease describes a defect in the structure of the heart or its vessels that occurs during fetal development. Congenital heart disease can be either mild or severe, and treatment options depend on the type and severity of the...
A Foley catheter is used to drain urine from the bladder of a patient who is unable to do so himself. The catheter, a soft tube made of rubber or plastic, is inserted through the urethra and into the bladder. Patients may require catheterization...
During a cardiac catheterization, a cardiologist passes a long catheter through a large artery---typically the femoral---into the heart in order to determine the health of the heart. Complications of cardiac catheterization may be life-threatening...
Angiography describes a minimally invasive diagnostic procedure to examine blood vessels throughout the body. Doctors use angiography to visualize blood flow through the lungs, kidneys, brain and heart. An angiography performed to specifically see...
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a type of heart condition in which your heart is incapable of sending enough blood to your body. According to the Mayo Clinic, physical manifestations of CHF include shortness of breath, especially when you lie...
Catheters consist of thin tubes that are inserted into a part of the body to inject or drain away fluid, or to keep a passage into an area open. Catheters come in many shapes and sizes. They can provide life-sustaining bodily functions and help...
Angiography is a clinical procedure in which doctors inject a special type of dye into a blood vessel. The data from an angiography test is called an angiogram. The dye, called contrast dye, is visible by X-ray imaging, and the doctor is able to...
Cardiologists diagnose and treat heart conditions, including heart diseases and diseases of the blood vessels. These diseases include, but are not limited to, heart attacks, congenital heart defects and coronary artery disease. These doctors also...
Bladder retention is the result of the bladder not being able to empty, which causes urine to accumulate. Because the bladder is muscular, it can withstand a large amount of pressure, making it resistant to rupture. However, bladder retention can...
Heart tests given by doctors help determine the cause of specific symptoms. Different tests provide different information. The most basic heart test can lead to more invasive diagnostic procedures. It is not uncommon for patients with symptoms of...
Catheters are tubes that are inserted into the bladder through the urethra or the abdomen so that urine can be drained. These tubes are used when someone cannot urinate on their own because of surgical procedures, problems with the bladder muscles...
Urinary catheters are slender, flexible tubes used to drain urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. Catheters are often used to prevent skin damage from wet clothing and bedding in patients who are incontinent--unable to control the...
Cystitis is the medical term for inflammation of the bladder. A bladder infection can be painful and annoying and can become a serious health problem if the infection spreads to your kidneys. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and...