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http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/cath/cath_whoneeds.html

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Cardiac+catheterization+indications

Are therealternatives?

In discussions of risks and benefits, one also has to consider the alternatives tocatheterization. Depending on the circumstances, "non-invasive" studies such asechocardiograms, treadmill stress tests, nuclear cardiology studies, and other techni

provide important information about the heart. Each of these have a role in certaincircumstances, a subject which is well beyond the scope of this discussion. Undoubtyour physician has considered these alternatives in your particular situation, but youneed to ask him/her specifically why these alternatives are not felt to be more approyour case.

Remember, you are ultimately the one who decides on which test, if any, is done toshould not feel uncomfortable at all about asking.

Alternatives to

CardiacCatheterization

Heart Catheterization Procedure

Several tests are available to diagnose or look for pos heart disease . The choice of which and how many tproblems and current symptoms.

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The alternatives to cardiac catheterization can giv

they do not give the in-depth information that a cardiatests include:

• Echocardiogram

• Exercise stress test.

These also proceed to tests that are more complicated

• Transesophageal echocardiogram (EEG)

• CT scan or MRI

• Nuclear scan stress test

• Stress thallium

• Spiral CT (computed tomography) scanning

At this time, cardiac catheterization is the most accuraidentifying the location, number, and severity of block

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catheterization provides in-depth information about he

Who Needs Cardiac Catheterization?

Cardiac catheterization is used to diagnose and/or treat many heart conditions. Doctors may recommend this procedure for various reasons.

The most common reason is to evaluate chest pain.

Chest pain may be a symptom of coronary heart disease (CHD). Cardiac catheterization can show whether plaque is narrowing or blocking

your heart's arteries.

Doctors can treat CHD during cardiac catheterization with a procedure called angioplasty (AN-jee-oh-plas-tee). During angioplasty, a tiny

balloon is put through the catheter and into the blocked artery. When the balloon is inflated, it pushes the plaque against the artery wall. This

creates a wider pathway for blood to flow to the heart.

Sometimes a stent is placed in the artery during angioplasty. A stent is a small mesh tube that's used to treat narrowed or weakened arteries

in the body.

Most people who have heart attacks have partly or completely blocked coronary arteri es. Thus, cardiac catheterization may be done on an

emergency basis while you're having a heart att ack. When used with angioplasty, the procedure al lows your doctor to open up blocked

arteries and prevent more damage to your heart.

Cardiac catheterization also can help your doctor figure out the best treatment for your CHD if you:

• Recently recovered from a heart attack, but are having chest pain

• Had a heart attack that caused major damage to your heart

• Had an EKG (electrocardiogram), stress test , or other test with results that suggested heart disease

You also may need cardiac catheterization if your doctor suspects you have a heart defect or if you're about to have heart surgery . The

procedure shows the overall shape of your heart and the four large spaces (heart chambers) inside it. This inside view of the heart will show

certain heart defects and help your doctor plan your heart surgery.

Sometimes doctors do cardiac catheterization to see how well the valves at the openings and exits of the heart chambers are working.

Valves control the flow of blood in the heart.

To check your valves, your doctor will measure blood flow and oxygen levels in different parts of your heart. Cardiac catheterization also can

check how well a man-made heart valve is working and how well your heart is pumping blood.

If your doctor thinks you have a heart infection or tumor, he or she may take samples of your heart muscle through the catheter. With the

help of cardiac catheterization, doctors can even do minor heart surgery, such as repair certain heart defects.

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Some of the indications for cardiac catheterization procedure are -

• Unstable angina or Chest pain [uncontrolled with medications orafter a heart attack]

• Heart attack• Before a bypass surgery

• Abnormal treadmill test results

• Determine the extent of coronary artery disease

• Disease of the heart valve causing symtpoms (syncope, shortnessof breath)

• To monitor rejection in heart transplant patients

• Syncope or loss of consiousness in patients with aortic valvedisease

Some of the relative contraindiciations for cardiac catheterization are

• Allergy to contrast (dye) medium• Uncontrolled Blood Pressure (Hypertension)• Problems with blood coagulation (Coagulopathy)•

Kidney failure or dysfunction• Severe anemia• Electrolyte imbalance• Fever• Active systemic infection

• Uncontrolled rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias)• Uncompensated heart failure• Transient Ischemic attack

Read more: Indications And Contraindications http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/cardiac-catheterization-Indications-Contraindication.htm#ixzz1T4kmbmWR