Cardiac Catheterization in Children What is a cardiac
catheterization? Cardiac catheterization is a specialized
procedure in which a long, flexible tube (catheter) is inserted
into a blood vessel (usually in the leg or arm) and guided into
the heart, allowing a close look at the structures inside.
Cardiac catheterization may be recommended for diagnostic
purposes, with the intent of obtaining information only. It can
also be therapeutic, with the intent of providing treatment or
intervention for an abnormality, such as a congenital (present
at birth) heart problem. It may be performed for the following
reasons: To obtain diagnostic information, such as pressures and
oxygen levels in various parts of the heart To further define
heart anatomy in the setting of congenital heart problems To
obtain cardiac tissue samples for biopsy To open the atrial
septum in congenital heart problems that cause a child to become
cyanotic (blue color of the skin, lips, and nailbeds due to an
insufficient supply of oxygen in the b