Swan-Ganz - right heart cathe... Health Article

Definition

Swan-Ganz catheterization is the passing of a thin tube (catheter) into the right side of the heart. The procedure is done to see blood movement through the heart and to monitor the heart's function in people who are very ill.

Alternative Names

Right heart catheterization; Catheterization - right heart

How the test is performed

The test can be done while you are in bed in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital or in special procedure areas such as a cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Before the test starts, you will be given a mild sedative to help you relax.

An area of your body, usually the neck or groin, is cleaned and numbed with a local anesthetic. The health care provider will make a small cut in a vein in your neck or groin. Sometimes, it is done in another area. A thin hollow tube called a catheter is inserted through the cut and up into a vein. It is carefully moved up into the right atrium (upper chamber) of the heart. X-ray images help the doctor see where the catheter should be placed.

The catheter is threaded through two heart valves (the tricuspid and pulmonary valve) and placed into the pulmonary (lung) artery. Once in place, the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery is measured.

During the procedure, your heart's rhythm will be constantly watched using an electrocardiogram (ECG).

How to prepare for the test

You should not eat or drink anything for 8 hours before the test starts. You may need to stay in the hospital the night before the test. Otherwise, you will check in to the hospital the morning of the test.

In critically ill patients, the test may be done in the intensive care unit.

You will wear a hospital gown. You must sign a consent form before the test. Your health care provider will explain the procedure and its risks.

How the test will feel

You are awake during the test. You may feel some discomfort when the IV is placed into your arm and some pressure at the site when the catheter is inserted. In critically ill patients, the catheter may stay in place for several days.