Catheterization Lab Team at St. Anthony North Hospital

St. Anthony North Hospital has two cardiac catheterization labs, which are available 24/7. These labs are used in both emergency and non-emergency cardiac situations.                    

Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure that involves passing a thin, flexible tube into the right or left side of the heart as a means of diagnosis. A physician inserts the catheter through an intravenous (IV), which is commonly inserted into the arm, neck or groin. The catheter is threaded into the heart and monitored on an X-ray machine that produces real-time pictures (fluoroscopy).

A cardiac, or heart, catheterization is typically performed to:

• Collect blood samples
• Measure the oxygen, pressure and blood flow in the heart
• Examine the heart's arteries
• Perform a biopsy on the heart muscle

At St. Anthony North, our team can use a heart catheterization to help repair certain types of heart defects, stuck heart valves and open blocked arteries in our patients. We are able to diagnose and evaluate specific heart conditions or treatments through a heart catheterization including:

• Coronary artery disease
• Congenital heart defects
• Problems with heart valves
• Causes of heart failure or cardiomyopathy

Preparation
Prior to the procedure, patients will receive a mild sedative to aid with relaxation and the area in which the IV will be inserted is cleansed and numbed using a local anesthetic.

In preparation, non-emergency patients are asked not to eat or drink anything six to eight hours before the procedure. Patients are typically admitted as an outpatient or an inpatient the morning of the procedure, but may need to spend the night before the test.

Be sure to inform your physician if you:

• Have any seafood allergies
• Have experienced bad reactions to contrast material or iodine
• Are taking Viagra 
• Might be pregnant

Learn about Heart Catheterization Aftercare