Cardiac Catheterization — The First Line of Defense and Treatment

Cardiac catherterization (also called heart cath or coronary angiogram) allows cardiologists to examine how a patient's heart is functioning, see if any blockages exist in the arteries and determine the best course of treatment. Typically, heart caths are outpatient procedure, with recovery taking only a few hours.

At the OMHS Heart Center, heart caths are used to open blocked arteries with balloon angioplasty, insert mesh tubes called stents and remove plaque from artery walls using a blade or laser-equipped catheter. Cardiologists have access to three cath labs.

When an emergency situation arises, OMHS cardiologists and members of the cath lab team arrive at the hospital in 30 minutes or less, making OMHS a leader in heart attack care.  Patients with blocked arteries receive treatment in an average of only 71 minutes, compared to the 90-minute standard established by the American College of Cardiologists and the American Heart Association.