Cardiac Catheterization

During this procedure, a long, narrow, plastic tube called a catheter is inserted through a small hole in an artery of the top of the leg. The catheter is advanced through the artery to the heart and is used to inject x-ray dye into the heart and coronary arteries and to measure pressure inside the heart. This procedure is performed under light sedation. The results may indicate to your doctor the presence of artery blockage, heart damage, and valve disease.