A procedure that inserts a thin tube (catheter) into blood vessels to reach the heart, allowing examination of heart function and blood flow. It can diagnose coronary artery disease and guide treatments like angioplasty.
From Greek 'kardia' meaning 'heart' and 'katheter' meaning 'something thrust down,' from 'kathienai' meaning 'to send down.' The catheter is literally sent down through blood vessels to reach the heart.
Cardiac catheterization revolutionized heart medicine by allowing doctors to see coronary arteries in real-time, leading to life-saving procedures like angioplasty that can open blocked arteries during heart attacks. The procedure was first performed in 1929 by a German doctor who courageously tested it on himself.
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