Cardiac Catheterization and Congenital Interventional Cardiology Program

While it can be stressful for you or your child to have a heart procedure, our experts specialize in minimally invasive care to allow you to heal faster and live your healthiest life.

What is cardiac catheterization?

Cardiac catheterization, also called heart catheterization or a heart cath, is a minimally invasive procedure that allows specialized heart doctors called interventional cardiologists to view the heart and treat heart problems, including congenital heart defects. We perform heart catheterizations in a suite of specialized procedure rooms called cardiac catheterization laboratories, or cath labs.

What is interventional cardiology?

Interventional cardiology uses minimally invasive procedures to treat heart conditions. Interventional cardiologists use catheters (thin, flexible tubes), and small tools to perform procedures like closing a hole in the heart or placing a stent in an artery. This allows cardiologists to fix areas in the heart that aren’t functioning properly without having to perform open heart surgery, which means a faster recovery time and lower risk of complications.

Types of cardiac catheterization

At Children's Colorado, we perform two types of heart catheterization for people with heart disease or congenital heart defects: diagnostic and interventional. In diagnostic catheterization, doctors run a variety of heart tests to help identify issues. In interventional catheterization, doctors repair the heart.

What is diagnostic heart catheterization?

Doctors use diagnostic heart caths to examine the heart, its blood vessels and valves, and understand how blood flows through the heart. This gives us a better understanding of how each heart works. Diagnostic heart catheterization usually includes three steps:

1. Recording blood pressures in different chambers of the heart and blood vessels
2. Evaluating the blood’s oxygen content in each chamber of the heart
3. Performing an angiogram (a test that uses X-rays to take pictures of the heart and its blood vessels)

How does a cardiac catheterization study work?

During a heart cath study, a type of diagnostic catheterization, doctors insert a catheter into the blood vessels of the groin area or neck and navigate through the blood vessels to the heart. They then inject contrast dye through the catheter and use X-ray and ultrasound imaging to take pictures as the dye moves through the heart. This allows cardiologists to watch blood flow through the heart to find any abnormalities in the heart muscle, valves or vessels.

What is interventional heart catheterization?

Doctors use interventional heart caths to fix defects or abnormalities in the heart. Interventional cardiologists will first perform most of the diagnostic techniques and then continue with corrective procedures. Interventional procedures can include:

• Balloon valvuloplasty: Doctors use a catheter with a balloon at the tip that they inflate to open a narrowed heart valve.
• Balloon angioplasty: Doctors use a catheter with a balloon at the tip that they inflate to open narrowed blood vessels.
• Stent placement: Doctors insert a stent (a small mesh tube) on a catheter with a balloon at the tip. The stent expands when doctors inflate the balloon. Surgeons then remove the balloon and leave the stent, which keeps narrow blood vessels open.
• Arrhythmia ablation: Doctors use a catheter to remove tissue that causes an arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat); many times we do this together with electrophysiology studies.
• Septal closures: Doctors use small devices passed through a catheter to close holes within the heart wall.
• Heart valve placement: Doctors place an artificial valve in the heart by collapsing it and passing it through a catheter; Surgeons then reform the valve within the heart.
• Non-surgical patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure: Doctors close a hole in the heart for premature infants as young as 3 days old and as small as 1.54 pounds (700 grams) in weight.

Conditions we treat with cardiac catheterization

At Children’s Colorado, we use interventional heart catheterization to treat many congenital heart conditions, including:

• Aortic valve stenosis
• Atrial septal defect
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Patent ductus arteriosus
• Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations
• Pulmonary regurgitation
• Pulmonary valve stenosis
• Pulmonary vein stenosis
• Sinus venosus defect
• Tetralogy of Fallot

Why choose Children's Colorado for cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiology?

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, our cardiac catheterization team performs heart catheterization procedures for infants from 3 days old all the way through adulthood for people with adult congenital heart disease.

No other cardiac catheterization program in the region can match our procedure volumes, equipment availability or standards for quality and patient care. Our cardiologists lead the field in using minimally invasive cardiac catheterizations to reach and repair heart problems in children and adults with congenital heart disease. We work with our partners across our hospital to provide individualized care and address the full scope of your child's health.

Certification from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission recognizes our commitment to providing the highest-quality care in congenital and pediatric heart catheterization. Having this recognition means that we meet or exceed all national healthcare standards for pediatric heart catheterization.

With a dedicated team of interventional congenital cardiologists, we perform more than 1,200 heart caths each year at our Heart Institute, including hundreds of complex interventional cardiac catheterizations. This means our cardiac catheterization team has more experience and produces better outcomes than any other pediatric cardiac catheterization program in the area.

Experts in congenital interventional cardiology

Before every complex interventional heart cath, our team of experts spanning surgery, anesthesia, imaging and more, plan the procedure together to ensure we account for each person's unique heart, medical history and needs. In our cath lab, two congenital heart disease interventionists, along with a team of specialists, perform every high-risk heart catheterization.

All our interventional cardiologists have graduated from internationally renowned fellowship programs, bringing together advanced experience and lessons from around the world. This gives each child truly expert and individualized care.

Low-radiation cardiac catheterization

While minimally invasive catheterization has lower risk than open heart surgery, the procedure does use radiation. Lowering the radiation dose in any procedure to the minimum exposure necessary is important — especially for children and young adults.

Our program has substantially decreased the amount of radiation needed for heart cath procedures. Using the most advanced cath lab system available, we are among the lowest radiation catheterization labs for congenital heart disease in North America.

Access to heart cath innovation and research

Due to our program's size and experience, we help create new techniques and devices to improve cardiac catheterization care for our own patients and for heart patients around the world. Through these innovations, our goal is to improve patients' heart health with fewer and less invasive procedures.

Our program is always involved in clinical and device trials in the U.S., which means our patients have access to the most advanced research, techniques and technology available.

What to expect before a cardiac catheterization

Patients and families can arrange to meet their interventional cardiologist and their team before scheduling the procedure. The care team will explain the procedure completely and answer any questions. In some cases, we can provide a 3D heart model to help explain your condition and procedure.

The day before the procedure, a nurse will call you to confirm what time to arrive and when the heart cath will start. The nurse will provide important instructions about when you should stop eating and drinking before the procedure, a standard safety step.

How to prepare for a cardiac catheterization

Use the following tips to prepare for a heart cath at Children’s Colorado:

Cardiac catheterization for babies and toddlers

• Pack your child’s favorite blanket, stuffed animal, toy or pacifier to help comfort them.
• Bring a familiar bottle and nipple for after the procedure.

Cardiac catheterization for young children

• Pack your child’s favorite toys and books to help comfort them before and after the procedure.

Cardiac catheterization for adolescents, teens and adults

• Pack a book, tablet or phone that is easy to use while lying down.
• Wear comfortable clothing.
• Remove all makeup, including nail polish from fingers and toes.
• Trim or shave any pubic hair (bandages from the procedure may pull on the hair). The care team will shave the area before starting the procedure, if necessary.
• Think about who you would like to be contacted or make decisions on your behalf in the event of a medical emergency and ask them to be available in case they are contacted.

What to expect on the day of cardiac catheterization

After you have checked in, a member of our care team will explain all the planned tests and catheterization procedures. Tests may include blood and urine tests and an electrocardiogram (EKG), chest X-ray or echocardiogram (ECHO). Feel free to ask questions at any time. Child life specialists will be available to help children and teens understand and prepare for the procedure.

What to expect during cardiac catheterization

In the cath lab, the care team will move the patient onto a special bed and cover them with warm blankets. Our cardiac nurses will start an IV and hook up medical devices to monitor blood pressure, oxygen, heart rate and other vital signs.

At this time, a cardiac anesthesiologist will administer anesthesia or sedative medication to ensure comfort and stillness throughout the procedure. The cardiac anesthesiologist will closely monitor all vital signs and ensure that things remain stable during the procedure. Although we perform most cardiac cath procedures under general anesthesia, in some circumstances, sedation along with a local anesthetic may be more appropriate.

Once asleep, the care team will cover the patient with a sterile drape. Doctors will clean the area where they will insert the catheter (typically the groin but sometimes the neck) and numb the area with medicine.

The cardiologist will then insert the catheter into a vein or artery and guide it to the area of the heart they want to see or repair. Our nurses will provide updates to those accompanying you or your child throughout the procedure.

How long does cardiac catheterization take?

A diagnostic heart cath typically takes 1 to 2 hours. An interventional heart cath may take 1 to 4 hours, depending on what procedures or corrections are needed.

What to expect after a heart catheterization

After the heart catheterization, we’ll move the patient to a recovery area or when necessary to the intensive care unit where they can recover from the procedure. Patients may need to remain lying down for several hours to help the catheter access point heal. Nurses will be available to check on recovery progress throughout the time in the hospital.

There may be some discomfort around the catheter access point in the groin or neck. Our care team will help minimize pain and maintain comfort.

Patients often stay overnight at the hospital and most can leave within 24 hours after a cardiac catheterization. Some patients with more serious heart conditions will need to remain longer.

How long does it take to recover after a heart catheterization?

Depending on the severity of the condition and the complexity of the procedure, full recovery for a heart cath can take several days to several weeks. Your doctor will provide instructions and any restrictions for your recovery.

What if I have questions about cardiac catheterization?

Knowing what to expect can help patients and family members feel more relaxed on the day of the procedure. At the Heart Institute, we offer pre-procedure support for patients led by child life specialists who are specially trained to support children through medical procedures. These specialists will make every effort to address and soothe any fears you or your child may have. 

If you have questions or concerns about the procedure, please call 720-777-2530 and provide the following information:

• Your name
• Patient name
• Type and date of the cardiac procedure
• A phone number where we can reach you during business hours  

Contact us

Contact the Cardiac Catheterization and Congenital Interventional Cardiology Program at 720-975-8211.