Cardiac catheterization

For a cardiac catheterization, the doctor makes a very small cut in the top, inner part of your leg, or just above your hand. They put a thin plastic tube, called a "catheter," in a blood vessel that is just below the cut. Then, they 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, the doctor injects a dye that creates pictures to show if your heart arteries are clogged.