Cardiac catheterization, also known as cardiac cath, is a medical procedure used to diagnose and treat certain heart or blood vessel problems. During the procedure, a long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in the arm, groin, or upper thigh and guided through the vessel to the heart. The catheterization procedure can be used to:

• Evaluate heart function and identify problems such as clogged arteries or irregular heartbeats.
• Take a tiny bit of muscle from the heart to examine (biopsy) .
• Evaluate or confirm the presence of coronary artery disease, valve disease, or disease of the aorta.
• Check the pulmonary arteries for issues.
• Repair certain types of heart defects.
• Open a narrowed (stenotic) heart valve and replace it with an artificial valve.
• Fix a heart problem youre born with, also called a congenital heart defect.
• Combine an interventional procedure with the catheterization procedure.

Cardiac catheterization is usually done in a hospital room with special X-ray and imaging machines, often called a cath lab. Before the procedure, the patient is asked to change into a hospital gown and may be given a sedative to help them relax[[6]](https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/diagnosing-a-heart-attack/cardiac-catheterization...