1-276.y:

You had a heart catheter test. This involved examining your heart or the large vessels close to your heart.

The heart pumps blood through the body. Inside the heart are 4 chambers. There are 2 heart atria and 2 ventricles. Both heart atria and both ventricles are separated from each other by a partition. 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 an artery or vein in your groin or arm. Arteries are blood vessels that transport blood away from the heart. They supply all the tissue in the body with oxygen-rich blood. Veins are blood vessels that transport the blood back to the heart.

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

A heart catheter test can be used to see whether the heart and the large blood vessels close to the heart are normally shaped and are 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.