Where Does Catheterization Come from?

In cardiac catheterization (often called cardiac cath), your doctor puts a very small, flexible, hollow tube (called a catheter) into a blood vessel in the groin, arm, or neck. Then he or she threads it through the blood vessel into the aorta and into the heart. Once the catheter is in place, several tests may be done.

Is catheterization a stent?

A left heart catheterization/angioplasty is the technique used to access the blocked artery. Along with a balloon, a compressed stent is attached to the end of a catheter and inserted through an artery in your groin or arm until it reaches the blockage.

What is the most common site for cardiac catheterization?

For cardiac catheterization procedures that require arterial access, the 2 common sites used include the common femoral artery and radial artery.