Skip to main content  What to Expect  Cardiac Catheterization
Laboratory   Cardiac Catherterization Laboratory  The cardiac
catheterization laboratory is where doctors can diagnose and
treat heart conditions using catheters instead of surgery.  Many
different procedures can be done in the catheterization lab
instead of an operating room. The basic parts of different
procedures are very similar.  What are catheters?  Catheters are
spaghetti-like plastic tubes used to insert special equipment to
diagnose or treat a heart problem.  The many different sizes and
shapes of catheters allow the cardiologist to perform a variety
of tasks.  A catheter used in balloon procedures  A catheter
used in balloon procedures.  A catheter used in
electrophysiology  A catheter used in electrophysiology (EP)
studies.  Why are they used?  For diagnosis, catheters may be
used to measure pressure in the heart. Catheters can be used to
insert special dyes that enable doctors to take pictures of the
inside of the heart (called angiogra