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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffAs with most procedures done on your heart and blood vessels, cardiac catheterization has some risks. Major complications are rare, though.
Risks of cardiac catheterization are:
- Bruising
- Bleeding
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Damage to the artery where the catheter was inserted that may require medical attention (pseudoaneurysm)
- Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- Allergic reactions to the dye or medication
- Tearing the tissue of your heart or artery
- Kidney damage
- Infection
- Blood clots
If you are either pregnant or planning to become pregnant, tell your doctor before having cardiac catheterization performed.
References
- Cardiac catheterization. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/cath/cath_all.html. Accessed Aug. 26, 2010.
- Eastwood J. Nurse's role in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. In: Moser DK, et al. Cardiac Nursing: A companion to Braunwald's heart disease. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:339.
- Coronary angiography. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ca/ca_all.html. Accessed Aug. 26, 2010.
- Carrozza JP. Complications of diagnostic cardiac catheterization. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 26, 2010.
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