Left heart catheterization is a medical procedure performed usually for serious heart conditions such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome. In this procedure, a flexible and thin tube known as a catheter is passed into the heart and this is passed mainly into the area on the left.
Sometimes, this procedure is also used to diagnose heart problems.
The latest left heart catheterization CPT code is 93452. The test is performed to look for cardiac valve diseases, tumors in the heart, structural heart defects such as ventricular septal defects and functioning of the heart. It may also be performed to collect a blood sample from the heart and measure blood pressure inside the heart.
The left heart catheterization procedure is invasive and is therefore performed under mild sedation or anesthesia. The doctor asks you to lie down and inserts an IV right into the arm. You are given medication intravenously throughout the medical procedure. The doctor makes a little surgical incision near your groin. A flexible rubber tube is inserted into your arteries through this cut.
The doctor guides the catheter into the arteries and up into your heart by using live X-rays and imaging technology. A radioactive dye is then injected into the catheter so that the arteries are illuminated. This is done to help the doctor monitor the flow of blood through the body so that blockages can be detected.
When the catheter has been inserted into the heart on the left side, the doctor can monitor the entire structure of the heart more clearly and the doctor is able to detect any structural or functional anomalies in the heart. This procedure usually lasts for several hours.
If the doctor is able to insert the catheter into the heart through your arm, you may be kept awake during the procedure. In such a case, the procedure is performed using mild sedation only.
Ideally, for about 8 hours prior to the test, it is necessary to stay away from any food or drink. However, you should talk to the practitioner for any other specific instructions.
Like any other invasive processes, the left catheterization procedure also has certain complications. Some of the possible complications include cardiac arrhythmias, injuries to arteries, cardiac trauma, heart attack, cardiac tamponade, formation of blood clots and subsequent embolism, low blood pressure, stroke, and infection. In rare cases, the person may develop an allergy or a reaction to the contrast material used for the imaging.
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