Do not eat or drink anything after midnight. Take your usual medications with only a sip of water.

Do not eat or drink anything after midnight. Take most of your usual medications with only a sip of water. Do not take any beta blockers. Do not consume any form of caffeine, including chocolate, 24 hours prior to your procedure.

The physician will discuss the results with you immediately following the procedure. The radiologist will review your nuclear medicine images and provide a report to your physician within a few days.

Yes, you will be given anesthesia.

The physician interprets your study and will discuss findings with your family immediately following the procedure.

Do not eat or drink anything after midnight. Take your usual medications with only a sip of water. Do not take any blood thinners.

You should expect to be in the lab for approximately 45 to 60 minutes. The procedure itself takes an average of 10 to 15 minutes. The pre- and post-procedure process is another 15 minutes, approximately.

You are moved to the catheterization table and connected to EKG and blood pressure monitors. The staff cleans and shaves both sides of your groin area. When your physician arrives, he/she will inject a local anesthetic into the skin, usually in the groin area, to numb the area. A puncture is then made into your femoral artery (in your groin), and the physician inserts a catheter (a long, narrow, flexible tube) through your artery and positions it near the heart under x-ray guidance. Cardiac Catheterization may also be performed through the wrist if required.
A cardiac catheterization provides essential information about all aspects of the heart. It is most frequently used to identify blockages in the arteries that feed the heart. Once the procedure is completed, the small tube is removed from your leg/groin and pressure is held at the site for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

No. The doctor may choose to give you medication to make you drowsy, but he/she will want to talk to you and make sure you are comfortable throughout the procedure.

Your physician will discuss your individual case and care with you immediately after the procedure. If blockages are found, he/she may advise that you have coronary angioplasty, stent placement or open-heart surgery.

• Coronary Angioplasty: A procedure using a balloon-tipped catheter to open the blockage of an artery and improve blood flow to the heart. It is performed in the same fashion as a cardiac catheterization.
• Coronary Stenting: Placement of a catheter-tipped wire mesh device to add support to a vessel after performance of coronary angioplasty.
• Open-Heart Surgery: The most common type of heart surgery for adults is coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). During CABG, surgeons use healthy arteries or veins taken from another part of the body to bypass (that is, go around) blocked arteries. CABG relieves chest pain and reduces the risk of heart attack.

Usually 4 to 6 hours.

Unless your doctor decides otherwise, you may eat/drink when the procedure is complete and you are back in your hospital room. You may turn your head from side to side to eat/drink, but may not lift it off of your pillow while you are lying flat. You may ask a nurse or family member to help you.

Click here for complete instructions on patient care following your cath procedure.

Unless otherwise directed by your physician, you may resume regular activities in three days.

If you think you are having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately. Emergency medical services are better equipped to handle active heart attacks.

Many heart conditions can be treated without surgery. Today’s treatments for heart disease include new medications and non-surgical procedures such as balloon angioplasty, atherectomy and stents. Heart patients can also greatly improve their health by making positive lifestyle changes.

Educating yourself about the risk factors for heart disease is the first step in preventing it. Whether you need to make lifestyle changes or be aware of hereditary traits that predispose you to the disease, arm yourself with information to take charge of your heart health. Research shows that Americans can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent by leading a heart-healthy lifestyle.

The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association have created an information sheet entitled “How Can I Make My Lifestyle Healthier?” Click here to visit the American Heart Association or the American Stroke Association online. It’s never too late to make better choices for your health. All you need is a goal, a plan and the desire to live better.

Also visit the AHA’s website, My Life Check and the Simple Seven. Simple tools help you know where you stand on your road to good health. No one achieves heart health by accident. Practice these seven steps to live a heart-healthy life.