- Stop eating or drinking the night before the procedure.
- Review their medications with their provider, especially diuretics and/or medications to control diabetes.
- Notify their provider of any iodine contrast allergies. People who are allergic to iodine will be given allergy medications before the test to prevent any symptoms.
- Additional specific instructions will be provided prior to testing.
Testing
This procedure is performed in a hospital by a doctor with specialty training in the specific procedure, whether an interventionalist, EP, or structural heart specialist[AA1] , along with a team of specialized cardiovascular nurses and technicians.
Under gentle sedation, the doctor inserts a flexible tube (catheter) into a blood vessel in the wrist, arm, or groin area. This catheter is guided to the heart, the blood vessels of the heart, and the main blood vessels leaving the heart to perform one or more of above procedure(s). The catheter is then withdrawn from the body and pressure is held on the access site in the wrist, arm, or groin area. Patient will be monitored for several hours afterwards, as the anesthesia wears off. Depending on the procedure or test performed during cardiac catheterization, many patients can go home later the same day, once the access site is stable. Others will need monitoring overnight.