Cardiac catheterization

For a cardiac catheterization, your doctor will make a very small cut in the top, inner part of your leg, or just above your hand. They will put a thin plastic tube, called a "catheter," in a blood vessel which is just below the cut. Then they will move the tube through your blood vessels to your heart. When the tube is in place, your doctor can do different tests. Most people have a test called "coronary angiography." For this test, your doctor will inject a dye that creates pictures to show if your heart arteries are clogged.