Having A Cardiac Catheterization

Your child has been scheduled for a cardiac catheterization. A cardiac catheterization provides the doctor with detailed pictures of the heart. It may help the doctor make a diagnosis or provide more complete information before surgery. This information helps the doctor determine the best treatment for your child.

We know this may be a new experience for you and your child. Your child may be anxious and fearful. Our goal is to make you and your child as comfortable and as informed as possible. 

This sheet describes what happens during a cardiac catheterization and how you can prepare your child.

Preparing your child

Children are less anxious when they know what is going to happen. They want to know what they will see, hear, and feel before and after the cardiac catheterization.

Before the catheterization

Your child will report to outpatient surgery at St. Vincent Hospital. A nurse will ask a few questions, take your child's temperature and blood pressure, and listen to his or her heart. The nurse may apply a cream to the back of your child's hands. This cream numbs the skin and makes it easier to start an intravenous line (IV). Your child will change into a hospital gown and will lie on a stretcher or in a crib. 

The anesthesiologist may order "sleeping medicine" for your child. This is a small drink of a bitter liquid, which will help your child relax and become sleepy. Drinking the medicine will probably be the last thing your child will remember before waking up in the recovery area. A nurse from the cardiac catheterization area will come to the outpatient surgery and transport your child to the first floor of the Indiana Heart Institute. You may stay with your child until he or she is taken into the cardiac catheterization room.

Parents are asked to wait in the main lobby of the Indiana Heart Institute. The receptionist will update you on your child's condition. We also provide a beeper if you would like to go to the cafeteria or another area of the hospital.

During the catheterization

The cardiac catheterization room is a softly lit room with a long table in the middle. The doctors and nurses in the room will be dressed in blue clothes, hats, masks, and gloves. Your child will see a large round x-ray camera and several TV monitors. The nurses will help your child slide onto the table. A seat belt will be placed over your child's knees. Four round patches will be placed on the shoulders and legs to monitor the heart rate. A blood pressure cuff will be placed on the arm. A monitor that measures oxygen saturation (a pulse ox or biox) will be placed on the finger. 

A nurse will remove the cream from the back of your child's hands. The nurse or the anesthesiologist will start an intravenous line (IV) and add some medicine to help your child sleep through the cardiac catheterization. 

A nurse will cleanse the groin area (where the legs meet the body) with warm, brown soap. Then a sterile sheet will cover your child from the chin to the toes. The cardiologist will numb the area where the catheters will be inserted. Catheters are bendable tubes about the size of thin spaghetti. A catheter is inserted into the large blood vessel of the leg and moved up to the heart. Pressure measurements inside the heart and pictures of the heart are then performed using these catheters. The cardiac catheterization will take two to three hours. Some special procedures may take longer. As soon as the test is completed, the catheters will be removed. To prevent bleeding, a nurse will apply pressure at the site for about 10-15 minutes. Then, a bandage is applied to the area. When the test is completed the doctor will speak with you. 

After the Catheterization

A nurse will transport your child to the pediatric unit. You may be with your child as soon as he or she wakes up. The intravenous line (IV) may still be in your child's arm or leg. This will be removed once your child is able to eat and drink.

There is some risk of bleeding after the procedure. Therefore, your child will be asked to lie quietly in bed and to keep the leg straight for about 4-6 hours. A nurse will check your child frequently to make sure there is no bleeding under the bandage. If you notice any bleeding, press firmly on the bandage and call for the nurse. Underneath the bandage there will be a few marks where the catheter tubes were inserted. There are no stitches. The bandage will be changed to a Band-Aid before your child goes home.

Explain to your child what we have described. An older child may want to read this sheet. If you are unsure how much information is appropriate for your child or what positive words to use, our Cardiology nurses can help you. Please call 317-338-2683 and ask for the pediatric cardiac catheterization nurses or call our toll free number 877-207-3917. 

Special instructions

• Please follow the eating and drinking instructions given to you by our nurse. For your child’s safety, his or her stomach should be empty for the cardiac catheterization. If your child does not follow the eating and drinking instructions, the cardiac catheterization may be delayed or rescheduled.
• If your child’s cardiac catheterization is scheduled for the afternoon, or if your child is having a special procedure, you may need to stay overnight. A parent may stay at the bedside. The room has either a guest bed or an easy chair.
• Bring any favorite toy or blanket your child sleeps with or uses for comfort.
• Dress your child in comfortable clothes that are easy to remove.
• If your child wears contact lenses, bring the case and solution to store them. The lenses must be removed before the cardiac catheterization.
• Leave jewelry and valuables at home.
• Bring your insurance information