Cardiac catheterisation

You are coming into hospital for a cardiac catheterisation. This leaflet will:

• explain what a cardiac catheterisation is

• how to prepare for the procedure

• what happens during and after the procedure, and

• who you should contact if you have any questions or concerns.

What is cardiac catheterisation?

Cardiac catheterisation is also known as coronary angiography. It allows us:

• to see if there is a narrowing in your coronary arteries, and

• to look at your heart valves and see how well your heart is pumping.

Once we have the results, an informed decision can be made on your treatment.

What should I do before I arrive for my procedure?

• Take all your usual medicines and bring them with you to hospital. There may be some that your doctor will not want you to take, but you will be told of these in your appointment letter.

• If you are diabetic, please contact the Cardiac Catheter Suite before your appointment. The contact details are at the end of this leaflet.

• Remove any nail varnish.

• Arrange for someone to drop you off and pick you up after your procedure. If there is no one available, please let us know as soon as possible.

• Unfortunately you cannot bring anyone onto the unit with you.

• Bring an overnight bag and toiletries. You will change into a hospital gown for your procedure, so please also bring slippers and a dressing gown.

• Wear comfortable underwear without tight elastic.

• Leave any valuables at home.

• Eat and drink as normal.

What will happen during my procedure?

• You will be taken into a room with a lot of x-ray and monitoring equipment. There will be quite a few members of staff in the room.

• You will be given local anaesthetic to numb the area. Your doctor will place a small tube (sheath) into the artery (and / or vein) in your groin or wrist.

• Through this sheath other fine tubes (catheters) will be passed up to your heart. This is done under x-ray guidance. The x-ray equipment will move around you.

• From time to time you may be asked to ‘take a deep breath in and hold it’, whilst the pictures are being taken.

Will I feel anything?

You will feel a slight pricking sensation and some stinging in your groin / wrist when you are given the local anaesthetic. There should be little or no discomfort during the procedure.

Sometimes we do another test where dye is injected into the main pumping chamber of your heart. If we do, you may feel hot and flushed. You may also notice some fluttering in your chest or feel as though you have passed water.

You are unlikely to notice the dye injections into your coronary arteries.

What happens after my procedure?

• Following your procedure you will be taken to the recovery area.

• You will have a pressure pad on your wrist. This will be slowly released before your discharge from hospital.

• If you have a tube in your groin, it will be removed and firm pressure applied to stop the bleeding. This usually takes about 10 minutes.

• It is important that you keep your head flat on the trolley and your leg still at this stage. If you don't, you may end up with a bruise or the artery may start to bleed again.

How long will I be in hospital?

The procedure takes approximately 40 minutes.

We try and do the procedure via your right wrist. If we do this, you will sit up immediately after your procedure and go home one and a half hours later.

If we can't use your right wrist, and the procedure is performed via your groin, your recovery will be about three hours.

Coffee / tea and biscuits are provided after your procedure. You may like to bring something to read.

When will I receive my results?

The doctor will discuss the results of your procedure with you before you go home.

What do I do when I get home?

• It is not uncommon for a little bruising to appear around the injection site once you have gone home. This will last for around two weeks.

• If the area becomes very painful or you notice any bleeding or swelling, please telephone one of the following:

  • Cardiac Catheter Suite, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital, Margate
    Telephone: 01843 234315

  • Cardiac Catheter Suite, William Harvey Hospital, Ashford
    Telephone: 01233 616830

  • Coronary Care Unit, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital, Margate
    Telephone: 01843 234579 (after 6pm)

  • Coronary Care Unit, William Harvey Hospital, Ashford
    Telephone: 01233 616115 (after 6pm)

When can I drive again?

You must not drive yourself home from hospital. Please arrange for someone to collect you from hospital and take you home. You should not drive for 48 hours after your procedure.

Are there any risks?

All medical investigations have some risk. However, it is important to remember that these risks are often outweighed by the benefit of knowing what is wrong, so that an informed decision can be made about any future treatment.

Cardiac catheterisation does have some small risks, but these are all rare. The risks of the procedure will be explained by the doctor before you sign your consent form. You should not sign the form until you have had these risks explained to you.

Why do I need to sign a consent form?

All patients must give permission before they receive any type of medical treatment, test, or examination. Consent is usually given when you sign the consent form before your treatment, but we may ask you to give it verbally.

• You must give your consent voluntarily.

• The hospital must give you all the information you need to make a decision about your treatment. This is so you can give us informed consent.  If you have not been given this information, or you have but you still have questions, please speak to a member of staff. 

• You must be capable of giving consent. This means that you understand the information given to you and can make an informed decision. 

When we ask you to give consent, please use this time to ask any questions you may still have. For more information, please go to the NHS Consent for Treatment web page. Remember, you can withdraw your consent for treatment at any time.

What if I have any further questions or concerns?

If you have any questions or concerns, please telephone one of the following Cardiac Catheter Suites and speak to a member of staff.

• William Harvey Hospital, Ashford
  Telephone: 01233 616830

• Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital, Margate
  Telephone: 01843 234315

The Cardiac Catheter Suite is a mixed sex unit. We tailor our care to meet the needs of our patients. If you have any specific requests then please do not hesitate to ask.