Test Overview
Cardiac
catheterization is a test
to check your heart. This test can include a coronary angiogram, which checks the .
A cardiac catheterization can check blood flow in
the , blood flow and blood pressure in
the , find out how well the heart
valves work, and check for defects in the way the wall of the heart moves. In
children, this test is used to check for heart problems that have been present
since birth ().
A coronary angiogram is used to find out if you have disease in your coronary
arteries (). If you have atherosclerosis, this
test can pinpoint the size and location of fat and calcium deposits () that are narrowing your coronary arteries.
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is similar to coronary angiogram, but it is used to open up a narrowed coronary artery with special tools. The two common types of PCI are:
Results from a coronary angiogram help determine whether treatment with
medicines, , or percutaneous coronary intervention
(PCI), such as
, may be effective.
For help deciding about having this test for coronary artery disease, see 
Heart Disease: Should I Have an Angiogram?
Other tests can be done during cardiac catheterization to
find heart problems. An X-ray test called a
ventriculogram measures how well blood flows through
the left side of your heart. The test looks at the movements of the wall of the
left ventricle and the heart valves.