You may have had symptoms of heart trouble. Symptoms include shortness of
breath, angina (pain or discomfort in the
chest, arm, or jaw), dizziness, or palpitations.
Or perhaps your doctor found signs of heart problems during a physical
exam. As a result, you may have had special tests, including a treadmill test, an
echocardiogram, or a nuclear scan. The next step may be cardiac catheterization,
which can help your doctor pinpoint the problem. The Cardiac
catheterization can show if the blood vessels in the heart are clogged, and if there are any congenital abnormalities.
A Cardiac Catheterization is a common
non-surgical procedure. It is used to help diagnose a heart problem. In
some cases, catheterization is also used to treat heart disease. During the
procedure, a long, flexible tube called a
catheter is inserted into a blood vessel. It is then gently
guided toward your heart. Once the catheter is in place, x-rays and other
tests are done. These tests help your doctor learn how well your heart is
working.
Angioplasty
This procedure is often
done with the Catheterization (see above). When they see a blockage in an
artery of the heart, angioplasty is done to open that vessel so that blood
can once again flow through to the heart muscle. To do this, a catheter with a balloon at the tip is
inserted into your artery to widen the passageway. The catheter and balloon
are then removed.
After the procedure, the treatment is continued by aggressive risk-factor modification. Altering your
lifestyle will help keep your heart condition from getting worse and may
even improve the health of your heart.
Stent
This procedure is
similar to the angioplasty, but after the balloon has widened the passageway
of the artery, a stent is introduced through
a catheter. A stent is a small metal coil or mesh tube that is placed in a
narrowed artery to help improve blood flow to your heart. The stent
permanently holds the passageway open and helps reduce the rate of restenosis, which is re-narrowing of the
artery. After this procedure, you need to start taking anticoagulant medications to help prevent
blood clots.
IVC Filter
This is a small metal
device that looks like a tiny umbrella (without the material). The filter
is placed into the
inferior vena cava (the large vein which returns the blood from the
lower half of the body to the heart) enabling it to "trap" blood clots
arising from the legs and preventing them from traveling to the lungs.
Since the vast majority of pulmonary emboli originate from the lower body
part, filters are mainly placed into the IVC.
