WHAT’S THIS PROCEDURE?

Cardiac catheterisation (CC)

Usually you’ll be awake, but given medications to help you relax. CC is used to diagnose and treat certain heart conditions, such as clogged arteries and irregular heartbeats.

A thin, flexible tube (catheter) is guided through a blood vessel to the heart and gives doctors information about the health of the heart muscle, heart valves and blood vessels that supply the heart. The procedure gives doctors the chance to do tests, give treatments, or remove a piece of heart tissue for examination. Some heart disease treatments such as bypassing a blocked coronary artery are done using CC.

Recovery time for a CC is quick, and there’s a low risk of complications.