Heart catheterization
Key points
- Cardiac catheterization involves the passage of a catheter (a thin flexible tube) into the right or left side of the heart.
- In general, this procedure is performed to obtain diagnostic information about the heart or its blood vessels or to provide treatment in certain types of heart conditions.
Alternative names
Catheterization - cardiac; Cardiac catheterization
Definition
Cardiac catheterization involves the passage of a catheter (a thin flexible tube) into the right or left side of the heart. In general, this procedure is performed to obtain diagnostic information about the heart or its blood vessels or to provide treatment in certain types of heart conditions.
Written and revised by
Gerald Hurowitz, M.D.
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