Cardiac catheterization is a medical procedure your doctor can use to perform tests and treatments. In this test, a thin, flexible tube (called a catheter) is inserted into a blood vessel in your arm, groin, or neck and then threaded to your heart. Once there, your doctor can use the catheter to perform tests and treatments. For example, your doctor may inject dye into the catheter and take X-rays of your heart to test your arteries and look for plaque (coronary angiography). Your doctor may also look for blockages in the coronary arteries with ultrasound or take samples of heart muscle or blood. You’ll be awake during this procedure, but you won’t be in pain. After the procedure, you may have soreness in the area where the doctor inserted the catheter.
