What is a Cardiac Cath?!


Question:

What is a Cardiac Cath?

My husband is having a Cardiac Cath done and he is scared.He has fluid on his lungs and is thinking about not having the procedure, should he?


Answers:

This is a question best answered by your cardiologist. It sounds like your husband is experiencing heart failure causing pulmonary oedema (fluid on the lungs). This means the heart is not able to pump enough blood to supply the needs of the body. This can often occur if the arteries (coronary arteries) supplying blood to the heart muscle gets occluded. Cardiac catheterization is a procedure in which a probe is inserted into an artery in the leg (femoral artery), up the aorta into the occluded heart artery. They inject dye into the arteries and take pictures to see if any other the arteries are clogged up. If they are clogged they can inflate a balloon to open the artery up or insert a stent to help keep it open. If the heart muscle hasn't died yet due to loss of blood flow, the heart may function better and be able to pump more blood. Once again, though, your doctor can explain it to you better. Good luck to your husband.




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