Basic Facts

  • Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure that allows access to the heart in order to perform tests or treatments for a number of heart issues without the need for surgery. 
  • It involves the insertion of a very thin tube called a catheter into a blood vessel in the groin, arm, or wrist area. Using X-rays as a guide, the catheter is threaded up the blood vessels to the heart.  
  • Different tools can then be run up and down the catheters to perform many procedures.