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Cardiac catheterization lab & electrophysiology services

Cardiovascular lab
Cardiovascular short stay
Diagnostic procedures
About your heart

Cardiovascular lab

Physicians and staff in the cardiac catheterization lab at Unity Hospital perform diagnostic procedures to evaluate patients with heart and peripheral vascular disease. In addition, electrophysiology studies diagnose electrical disturbances and life-threatening heart rhythms. 

Cardiovascular short stay (CVSS)

The Cardiovascular Short Stay unit provides care for individuals having a CV and electrophysiology lab procedures. It also provides nursing support for individuals needing an external cardioversion procedure, transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE), echocardiograms requiring contrast injections and Tilt studies.

What to expect during your stay in the cath lab

After being prepared for your procedure on Cardiovascular Short Stay, you will be brought into the cardiovascular and electrophysiology Lab procedure room. The staff will introduce themselves and explain what you can expect to occur during the time you are there.

Most procedures last about an hour, but some are longer depending on the type and number of procedures. You will need to lie down on a narrow table during the procedure. The table is narrow to allow the camera to get close enough for the best photos. The staff will help you get comfortable by offering arm rests, pillows and medication if needed. Warm blankets will also be offered to you since the procedure rooms are kept cool to allow proper functioning of the computers, monitors and photo equipment.

Your family members may wait in the cardiovascular waiting room while your procedure is done, and they will be updated of your status by our staff.

Once you are comfortable, the staff will begin preparing you for the procedure. Your groin area will be cleaned with an antiseptic solution. The staff will then cover you with a sterile drape from your chin past your toes. This will make your lap a sterile area for the cardiologist and scrub assistant.

You will be awake during the procedure because you need to tell us if you are comfortable, feel ill or if you need something. The lights will go off in the room when we are ready to take pictures. A darkened room helps the cardiologist and staff better see the pictures being taken.

We may ask you to take deep breaths or to hold your breath as pictures are taken. You will be given a picture of your procedure to take home with you. After the procedure, you will be taken back to cardiovascular short stay for observation and recovery.

Diagnostic procedures

Cardiac catheterization is used to diagnose heart conditions such as coronary artery disease, diseases of the electrical conduction system and diseases of the heart valves and the heart muscle.

During the procedure, specific types of catheters can be inserted through a small incision in the groin or arm and advanced through the blood vessels until it reaches the heart. Depending on the type of procedure being done, the catheter can be used to place dye in the coronary arteries to detect blockages, to place dye in the left ventricle to determine how well the heart is pumping and how well the valves are working, and to obtain electrical recordings of the heart beat.

Cardiac diagnostic procedures include:

• Coronary angiogram
• Myocardial biopsy
• Electrophysiology studies
• Tilt studies
• Permanent pacemaker placement
• Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) stenting
• Carotid stenting
• Peripheral angiogram and intervention

Unity Hospital
550 Osborne Road
Fridley, MN 55432
763-236-5000
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First published: 09/14/2004
Last updated: 11/07/2006

Reviewed by: Dorene Barthel, RN, MA, CCRN, CV Lab/CVSS Supervisor