• Cardiac Catheterization
• Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty
• Percutaneous Intracoronory Stent Placement

CARDIAC CATHERTERIZATION
As cardiologists we often need to define a patient’s specific anatomy of the arteries that provide blood flow to the heart. This is done by way of a cardiac catherterization. The test may is performed on an outpatient basis. Details and careful explanation of the test are given at the time of scheduling. In essence the procedure involves passing a small catheter(less than an 1/8 inch in diameter) by way of a tiny skin puncture to the heart. Pictures of the arteries are taken using a injected contrast(iodine) and then recorded on film. These films are reviewed to determine if blockage is present and if intervention (bypass surgery angioplasty) is needed. There are minimal risks and inconveniences to the procedure and these are reviewed with the patient and family. The test lasts less than 20 minutes on the average, and patients are usually discharged within four hours.
If bypass or heart valve surgery is required, we refer patients to one of our nearby institutions for the procedure.