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7
IF
we truly wore our hearts on
our sleeves, doctors would have
no trouble examining our tickers.
However, to get a good look at this
crucial organ, you need to see inside
the heart itself.
Cardiac catheterization o ers one
way to do that.
In this procedure, a doctor places
a thin tube called a catheter inside a
large artery (blood vessel) that leads
to the heart. rough the catheter,
the doctor can check for many types
of heart problems, including block-
ages that hurt blood ow and could
trigger a heart attack.
Traditionally, the catheter is
placed in the femoral artery—a large
artery in the groin that leads to the
heart. Now, doctors are beginning
to place the catheter in the radial
artery, which is located in the wrist.
e technique is called radial artery
access, and it o ers patients some
unique advantages.
“Over a million cardiac catheter-
izations are performed each year in
the United States,” says interven-
tional cardiologist Dr. Janardhan
Srinivasan. “ is technique, which
takes a di erent route to the heart,
is quickly becoming the preferred
procedure for all patients and is very
e ective in patients who are obese or
who have poor leg circulation.”
In the Center for Cardiovas-
cular Services at Halifax Re-
gional Hospital (HRH), nearly
50 percent of the catheterizations
performed each year are through
radial artery access, according
to the Center’s Manager Starann
Ballou. All four cardiologists on
sta at HRH are trained to do the
radial artery access procedure.
Studies have shown bene ts to
entering the heart through the wrist.
Patients may:
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Bleed less, both
R A D I A L C A R D I A C C A T H E T E R I Z A T I O N
Through the wrist to the heart
internally and externally.
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Experi-
ence less discomfort because they
can sit up, walk and eat immediately
a er the procedure.
As with any procedure, radial car-
diac catheterization has some risks.
Arterial spasms and blood clots
may happen in a few cases. Gener-
ally, however, the procedure has low
complication rates.
Who needs it and why
Your doctor may recommend a
cardiac catheterization for a variety
of reasons. He or she may want to:
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Check out why you’re having chest
pain.
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Look for a heart defect.
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Examine your heart before
surgery.
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See how well your valves are
working.
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Take samples of your heart
muscle.
“Patients should know that this is
not an experimental or obscure way
to perform cardiac catheterizations,
but rather a standard option which
patients should feel comfortable ask-
ing about for their care,” Dr. Srini-
vasan says. “Your cardiologist will
determine if this is the right option
for you based on your current level
of health.”
To read about our
extensive cardiac
services, go to
www.hrhs.org/
cardiovascular
.
