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You had a heart catheter test. This involved examining your pulmonary artery.

Major, important blood vessels branch out of the heart. The main artery (aorta), originating from the left lower chamber (ventricle) of the heart, supplies the whole body with oxygen-rich blood. The right ventricle pumps oxygen-poor blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where the blood is then enriched with oxygen.

The heart catheter test involved inserting a thin tube into a vein in your groin or arm. Veins are blood vessels that transport the blood back to the heart.

The tube was then pushed on into your pulmonary artery. A contrast substance was then injected into you via the tube. The contrast substance enables various tissues to be differentiated more clearly. Your pulmonary artery could then be viewed on a screen using an X-ray machine.

A heart catheter test can be used to see whether the pulmonary artery is normally shaped and is working properly. The heart’s valves can also be examined. There are 4 valves in the heart. These valves ensure that the blood flows in the right direction. So they have to close tightly. They also have to open up fully so that the blood can be properly pumped out of the heart. A heart catheter examination can also involve taking tissue samples.