Cardio Cat

[Elmo1939]

I am schedued to go for a Cardio Cath and suffer from severe anxiety.  I am a hyper person who cannot sit still.  My Cardiologists tells me that I since I have no family history of heart disease, Have not smoked in 38 years, have no chest pains and normal EKG I have little to worry about.  I suffer from shortness of breath and he wants to see how much of it is from a blockage or Asthma.  Nuclear stress test showed Mild segmental Left Ventricle Dyusfunctrion.  How long will the procedure take.  Just wondering how long the Cather will be in my body.  Thanks for your help

Tom

[Momto3]

Hi Tom,

Sorry you're so anxious over your upcoming cath.  I have not had a catherization, but I have had other cardiac procedures (elecrophysiology study, catheter ablations, TEE), so I know a little about the anxiety.

Do you know if you will be sedated for the procedure?  I can't imagine that you wouldn't be.  I don't know how long the cath takes, but my parents have both had them, and both said, no biggie.  I was on the table for about 7 hours, and I was given versed and fentynl....it was like getting a really good night's sleep.  Call you doctor's office and ask how you will be sedated, and when?  I was pretty nervous, so I was usually given the IV with the "good" medicine before I even reached the lab.  My Dad actually watched at least one of his caths, and while he was fascinated, he didn't feel a thing.

Take care and keep us posted.

connie

[sadie1246]

I was on the table for 35 minutes and in recovery for 10 hours on my back you can't move make sure you don't move after you get out of surgery.  i was not sedated they numbed that area in my groin.  Make sure you have a good relationship with the doctor you selected and check out his credentials let me know how you come out.  I will tell you about mine.  Everyone is nervous it is only natural, if you have any pain whatsoever after surgery when you go home go straight to the er.  I had lorcet and the needle to numb me there.  Have them to an ultra sound if you have pain when you go home.   good luck and god bless.

[Jack54]

Relax Tom, they are a piece of cake. I have had 11 of them. I know it it tough for the first time though. I was really scared.

Now it hurts more to get my teeth cleaned.

The information obtained by a cardiac catheterization is impossible to get any other way. They have saved so many lives. If a blockage is found, it can be stented and opened up during the cath. I have 6 stents and bypass is next.

If you wear glasses make sure to wear them into the cath lab so you can see the angiogram monitor.

Best of luck and try not to worry,

Jack

[shortsleeve]

If I remember right it takes about an hour. They numb you so it's no big deal. I'm no Doctor so I don't want to give any advice. Try this web site:
www.cardiologychannel.com/cardiaccath/index.shtml
You'll do fine.
Dave

[Jack54]

You don't have to be a doctor to give advice. Look to your left and read the disclaimer. I also doubt you'll find many doctors on the cardiology channel that have received a cardiac cath. At least not as many cardiac catheterizations as some of the members of this board have.

Cheers :)

[BionicBabe]

Understand how you feel. I had a cardiac cath and EP study several months ago and I was scared senseless. In my case (and I've yet to hear anyone say anything different) they gave me some nice drugs which made me feel real nice and relaxed and even somewhat interested in what was going on, only to find myself wake up, having fallen asleep and being told the procedure was over. I was even a little disappointed that I wasn't alert for more of it. I didn't feel anything. From what I could see on the monitor, the artery is quite huge compared to the catheter. For me this procedure was much more pleasant than the cardiac MRI I had the day before. Hope all goes well!  

[Jack54]

The average time spent on the cath table is around 20 minutes. You will be conscious, but as the BionicBabe said, you will probably be given a mixture of Versed, a short acting benzodiazepine that causes a bit of amnesia, and Valium :) You must be conscious for the procedure in order to maybe cough for the doc or raise your arms.... Time flies by due to the drugs, and you feel pretty darn good.

You do not have any feeling inside of your arteries. You may feel a "vibration" for a few seconds as the cath is inserted into and through the "sheath" that has been placed in your femoral artery (with a teeny tiny incision that is numbed before the little nic), and remains stationary.

Afterwards the incision will be sealed and you cannot move you head or leg for some time. This is when you get morphine, that is during recovery. It is good for the heart, but too much is not good for the lungs.

[mrwjd]

You won't panic after they start getting ready.  You will be conscious--if you call that conscious--but not exactly "in the moment."  

Mine was done on an emergency basis.  If I'd made an appointment for it, I'd have been right where you are, and maybe not even gone.  As it was, though, no big deal.  No anticipation (lucky)f, no pain, no anxiety while they did it, a walk in the park.

[cupcake51]

i just had a catherezation yesterday. i don't think there could be anyone more nervous than me.  i slept a total of two hrs the night before.  i told every staff person how anxious i was hopeing they would give me something to take the edge off. finally they give you one 5MG valium and a benedryle. what good those are i don't know, it did nothing. then in the cath lab they gave me a shot of verset, maybe it took the edge off but nothing more than that.  by that time i had lived through hours of anxiety. it all seemed a little to late as far as i was concered. if i ever have to do it again i will ask my doctor for a valium for the night before so maybe i could some sleep. anyway there was very little pain, really just some pressure at the end.  don't do the procedure if you have any kind of cough though, it is not good for afterwards.
ps my results were great, i have no blockage hope the same for you.

[kenkeith]

I recently had a CT angiogram.  It has the competive advantage over a cath as it produces images that can identify soft plaque and distinquish soft plaque from calicified plaque.  The soft plaque can exist between the intima (inner lining of the vessel to the outer smooth muscle.  This soft plague can rupture the lining of the vessel and cause a clot producing an MI or stroke...most heart attacks are the result of occluded vessels that are deemed to be no problem when viewed with a cath.  The CT software calculates/scores a numerical value by counting the pixels per slice (darker shaded images representations distinquish) and studies have shown that CT score has some validity for risk of a major heart events.

I bring this to your attention as I read you have or may have pulmonary issues.  The CT showed I had minimal atelectasis (