Cardiac Catheterization

Definition

Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive action by inserting a catheter (tube / plastic tube) through a vein into the heart and coronary blood vessels that make the heart bleed.
Cardiac catheterization is a general term used for a series of imaging procedure to insert a catheter into the heart chambers or blood vessels. When the catheter was in a position that has been determined, the tool can be used to implement a number of further examination procedures and treatments such as coronary angiography (coronary angiography), angioplasty (angioplasty) and the installation of an artificial valve (balloon valvuloplasty).
Cardiac catheterization performed through the catheter trajectory (a thin flexible tube) into the right and left heart. The catheter can be inserted through an artery or vein in the arm or upper thigh), which then slowly directed to the heart with the help of a special x-ray machine. Once the catheter was in a position that has been determined, then the contrast fluid (contrast dye) is injected through the catheter so that x-ray images of heart valves, coronary arteries and heart chambers can be recorded by the x-ray machine to produce the right image.

Goal

Through cardiac catheterization, we can measure blood pressure, both in the veins, arteries, foyer (atrium), both right and left ventricle (LV), right or left, as well as large blood vessels such as aorta and pulmonary artery. In addition, we also can obtain hemodynamic data and radiological data (angiography) for diagnostic purposes. For example, in patients with coronary heart disease who have coronary artery narrowing, we can ensure the location of the narrowing, the number of refinements, and the level of severity of narrowing it.

Indication

New cardiac catheterization can we do for the following indications.
- A history of coronary heart disease (narrowing of the coronary arteries) that require bypass surgery or interventions
- Abnormalities of the heart valves: to determine the severity of heart valve abnormalities before surgery, so it can be determined whether the patient required valve replacement or valve repair alone.
- Impaired left ventricular function
- Congenital heart disease requiring surgery: to determine the anatomical changes that occur in heart.

Contraindications and Risks

Cardiac catheterization performed mainly in patients with heart diseases, life-threatening. Therefore, kontraindikasinya is relative. Catheterization determined based on consideration of severity of heart disease / health condition of the patient and the greater the risk of catheterization.
Relative contraindications, including: uncontrolled blood pressure with medication, acute interruption of blood flow the brain (acute stroke), severe anemia, acute gastrointestinal bleeding, allergies to dye, acute renal failure, heart failure in which the patient may not sleep on their backs , and disorders of blood clotting process heavy. However, most of these conditions can be addressed before catheterization performed.
As with any surgery, the risk of catheterization include: bleeding, infection, heart failure, rhythm disturbances, and the frequency of heart beat (arrythmia), kidney failure, and blockage of blood vessels of the brain (stroke). Increasingly risk in those aged sixty and over, people with kidney failure, heart failure, stroke or diabetes. But the statistics showed: severe complications is less than one percent and deaths from catheterization only about 0:08 per cent.
In the future Electro Beam Computed Tomography (EBCT) is expected to shift the cardiac catheterization. Unlike the Computed Tomography (CT) in which the electron transmitting tube rotated around the patient, then on EBCT electron electronically rotated in the tungsten anode tube. The movement of electrons is much faster to produce X-ray image more and is ideal for photographing moving organs like the heart is always with blood vessels.