Cardiac Catheterization and Coronary Angiogram
Cardiac catheterization is a test to check your heart. This test uses a thin flexible tube called a catheter that is inserted into the heart through blood vessels. This test can include a coronary angiogram, which checks blood flow in the coronary arteries.
A cardiac catheterization can also check blood flow and blood pressure in the chambers of the heart, find out how well the heart valves work, check for defects in the heart, or check how well the wall of the heart moves.
Current as of:
December 6, 2017
Author:
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Rakesh K. Pai, MD - Cardiology, Electrophysiology & Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine & John A. McPherson, MD, FACC, FSCAI - Interventional Cardiology & Michael P. Pignone, MD, MPH, FACP - Internal Medicine