Cardiac catheterization is used to diagnose coronary artery blockages, leaky valves, holes in the heart and other heart problems.

How does cardiac catheterization work?
During cardiac catheterization, cardiologists insert a thin plastic tube, called a catheter, into an artery in the arm or leg. Once the catheter is inside the body, they use special digital X-ray equipment to guide it through a series of connecting arteries and into the heart’s arteries.

During an angiography, cardiologists use cardiac catheters to inject a radioactive dye into the heart. The dye allows cardiologists to watch and take pictures as blood flows through the heart's chambers and blood vessels.

Angiograms help cardiologists detect blockages in the coronary arteries, faulty motion of the heart's wall, leaking valves or holes within the heart.

At Einstein, our catheterization lab is equipped with digital imaging storage and a cardiac monitoring and analysis database system. Crisper images, more precise information about blood flow to the heart and quicker results are only a few of the system’s advantages.