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How you prepare
By Mayo Clinic staffCardiac catheterization is usually performed in the hospital. The test requires some preparations. To prepare for your test:
- Don't eat or drink anything for eight to 12 hours before your test. Having food or drink in your stomach can make your test results inaccurate. Cardiac catheterization tests are often scheduled for the morning, so you can have something to eat and drink soon after your test.
- Take all your medications and supplements with you to the test. It's best if you take the original bottles so that your doctor will know the exact dose you take.
- Try to relax. It's common for people who are having a cardiac catheterization to feel anxious or nervous. It's possible that the test will reveal that you need surgery right away, or that you could have a side effect from the medication. Although the potential results can be unnerving, try to relax. Being nervous may cause your heart to beat more quickly or irregularly, giving your doctor inaccurate test results. If you are feeling anxious, talk to your doctor about these feelings before the procedure.
Once you're admitted to the hospital, you'll have your blood pressure, pulse and body temperature checked. You'll be asked to use the toilet to empty your bladder. You'll be asked to remove dentures and may need to remove jewelry, especially necklaces that could interfere with pictures of your heart. You'll wait in a pre-operating room until it's time for your procedure — you can often have someone wait there with you.
- Eastwood J. Nurse's role in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. In: Moser DK, et al. Cardiac Nursing: A companion to Braunwald's heart disease. Philadelphia, Pa..: Saunders Elsevier; 2007339.
- Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. About your heart-catheter procedures. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2005.
