Cardiac Catheterization - Life After - Life After

It is important to get routine follow-up care after you have cardiac catheterization. Talk with your doctor about how often you should schedule office visits.

• Adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle, especially if your cardiac catheterization was needed because of ischemic heart disease or heart attack.
• Follow any instructions for when to resume physical activity and lifting and at what levels.
• Follow instructions on how to care for the site where the doctor accessed your blood vessel, including when you can take a bath or swim.
• Keep any follow-up appointments or tests.
• Take any medicines as directed by your doctor.
• Talk to your doctor about any blood tests you may need if you were placed on blood thinners after your procedure.

Complications from cardiac catheterization are rare but can be serious. A small bruise and tenderness at the access site is normal. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following, as they may be signs of serious complications.

• Bleeding from the access site that cannot be stopped with firm pressure
• Chest pain or shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Fever
• Increased pain, redness, or bruising at the access site
• Irregular, very slow, or fast heartbeat
• Swelling at the access site
• Yellow or green discharge draining from the access site
• Your leg or arm that was used for access becoming numb or weak or any part of it turning cold or blue

Other serious complications after catheterization, although rare, include heart attack and stroke. If you think that you are or someone else is having the following symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Heart attack signs and symptoms include:

• Chest pain or discomfort in the center of the chest or upper abdomen that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, heartburn, or indigestion.
• Nausea, vomiting, light-headedness or fainting, or breaking out in a cold sweat. These symptoms of a heart attack are more common in women.
• Shortness of breath, which may occur with or before chest discomfort.
• Upper body discomfort in one or both arms or the back, neck, jaw, or upper part of the stomach.

If you think someone may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T. and perform the following simple test.

• F—Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
• A—Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• S—Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
• T—Time: If you observe any of these signs, call for help immediately. Early treatment is essential.

Read more about the signs and symptoms of a stroke.