Assuming they’ll take care of everything is how we fall into healthcare gaps. Please share this site with someone you love.
If you’ve read The Cardiac Cath Healthcare Gap, you already know a little something about what cardiac caths are.
In this post Nurse Derrick gives you questions to ask before you have your cardiac cath to make sure you’re ready for what comes.
- Why a cath?
- Are you able to treat or only diagnose?
- Wrist or groin?
- What are my risks?
- Recovery time/outlook/action?
- Do I need a driver?
- What do I do in regards to my meds and supplements?
- What danger signs am I looking for once back home?
- What happens if you can’t fix it in the cath lab?
- If you (Doctor / Nurse) were in my shoes…
- Final thoughts
- Truncated bullet point list
🫀 First—A Reminder: What Is a Cardiac Cath?
A cardiac catheterization (or “cardiac cath”) is a test doctors use to check your heart. They thread a tiny tube (a catheter) into a blood vessel—usually in your wrist or groin—and guide it up to your heart. From there, they can take pictures, look for blockages, or even open up narrowed arteries with a balloon or stent.
Sounds fancy? Because it is. It’s also pretty common. But that doesn’t negate the need to know what’s expected of you and what expectations you may have that are in fact assumptions you’ve made in disguise.
💬 Questions to Ask Before Your Cardiac Cath
The list is broken down into bullet points at the end of the blog. Bring this list with you. Print it. Screenshot it. Tattoo it on your arm (kidding). Just don’t go in without asking.
Why do I need this?
If your doctor wants to do a cardiac cath, they’re likely trying to:
- Find blockages
- Diagnose a heart condition
- Measure heart function
- Plan treatment
It’s okay to ask them:
👉 “What exactly are you looking for in my case?”
👉 “Will you just be checking things, or might you treat something too?”
Will you be treating anything during the cath, or are you just taking a look?
As you may have read in The Cardiac Cath Healthcare Gap, some doctors are only licensed to go in to check for issues, but not treat them. Others can fix blockages right then and there. It makes a BIG difference. I think this is a very important question to ask before a cardiac cath.
It’s okay to ask them:
👉 “If you find something like a blockage, are you able to fix it right then and there, or will you need to bring someone else in to fix a blockage?”
👉 “Since you cannot fix it yourself, do you have a recommendation of someone who can do the exploratory cath AND fix any problems they find in the same single procedure?”
Where are you going in—my wrist or my groin? And why that spot?
The wrist usually means faster recovery than the groin. Ask what they plan and what you should expect afterward.
It’s okay to ask them:
👉 “If you go through my groin, how long will I have to lay flat afterwords?”
👉 “I have chronic back pain and I don’t know if I’ll be able to lay flat for 6 hours. Will you put something in your treatment plan that helps with that pain?”
What are the risks—and how common are they?
Don’t let “rare” be the only answer.
👉 “What’s the chance of bleeding? Infection? Needing emergency care?”
I once had a patient have to lay flat for 24 hours because their femoral artery kept opening back up. It’s not a comfortable thing. The risk of bleeding is high if you don’t stay flat and still in post procedure recovery.
What will recovery look like?
👉 “How long will I be in the hospital after the procedure?”
👉 “How long do I need to rest?”
👉 “When can I drive?”
👉 “Go back to work?”
👉 “When can I go up and down stairs again?”
👉 “Do I need to make up a room on the first floor of my house for a couple of days once home?”
Don’t assume you’ll bounce right back. Everyone heals differently—and your doctor should tell you what to expect for you.
Do I need someone to come with me?
(Spoiler: Yes, you do.)
You’ll likely need someone to drive you home. But the staff may have a sense of timing for that person’s convenience.
What meds should I take or skip before the procedure?
Bring your med list and make sure it includes any vitamins or supplements. Ask them to look at the list while they answer you – especially if you take blood thinners, insulin, or diuretics.
Don’t guess on this one. Don’t assume they’re going to remember to give you these instructions correctly or that they’ll remember what meds you’re on. Ask this question!
👉 “Here’s my med and supplement list, what should I skip or take before the procedure and when should I have my last doses?”
What should I watch out for after?
Like pain, swelling at the insertion site, numbness in my fingers or toes, stroke symptoms…
👉 “What are signs of complications once I’m home?”
Know the red flags. Know who to call if something feels wrong. With signs of a stroke: call 911. DO NOT HAVE SOMEONE DRIVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL. Call 911 and wait for EMS.
What happens if you find something and cannot fix it in the cardiac cath lab?
This happens. Your doctor should be upfront with you about it. Their answer will vary based on your age and physical health.
👉 “If you cannot fix this issue, will I need a coronary artery bypass graft? Will I be a candidate?”
👉 “If I’m not a candidate, what are my options?”
If you (Doctor / Nurse) were in my shoes, what question would you be asking?
Ask the doctors, for sure. But also, ASK THE NURSES. They spend much more time with the patients after the procedures and see a lot more of how things go wrong. They’ll hopefully have some ideas for you.
👉 “If you were in my shoes, what question would you be asking?”
🧠 Final Thoughts
This isn’t just a test. It’s your body, your heart, and your right to understand what’s happening to it. Ask questions. Take notes. Don’t be afraid to say, “I need you to explain that again, but slower this time.”
You’re not only allowed to advocate for yourself, the healthcare providers you’re working with expect you to do it. They do not think they are in charge, they think you are. Patients don’t seem to realize that and it’s one of the reasons why I started Navigating with Nurse Derrick.
If you’ve been through a cardiac cath and have tips for others, drop them in the comments. We learn best when we learn together.
💬 Bullet point version: Questions to Ask Before Your Cardiac Cath
- Why do I need this?
- What exactly are you looking for in my case?
- Will you just be checking things, or might you treat something too?
- If you find something like a blockage, are you able to fix it right then and there, or will you need to bring someone else in to fix a blockage?
- (If the above is true) Since you cannot fix it yourself, do you have a recommendation of someone who can do the exploratory cath and fix any problems they find in the same procedure and time?
- Where are you going in—my wrist or my groin? And why that spot?
- If you go through my groin, how long will I have to lay flat afterwards?
- I have chronic back pain and I don’t know if I’ll be able to lay flat for 6 hours—will you put something in your treatment plan that helps with that pain?
- How common are complications like bleeding, infection, and stroke occuring?
- How long will I be in the hospital after the procedure?
- How long do I need to rest?
- When will I be able to drive again?
- When can I go back to work?
- When can I go up and down stairs again?
- Do I need to make up a room on the first floor of my house for a couple of days once home?
- Here’s my med and supplement list—what should I skip or take before the procedure, and when should I have my last doses?
- What should I watch out for after the procedure?
- What are signs of complications once I’m home?
- What happens if you find something and cannot fix it in the cath lab?
- If you cannot fix this issue, will I need a coronary artery bypass graft?
- Will I be a candidate for that kind of surgery?
- If I’m not a candidate, what are my options?
- If you were in my shoes, what question would you be asking?
Thank you for reading! Please share this site with anyone you think could benefit from it! What questions do you have? Do you have any suggestions? Or did this bring up any stories you want to share? Reach out to me through the contact page, or leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
Leave a Reply