Posted by Dave Funderburg on November 02, 2001 at 09:50:08:
In Reply to: Re: My husband's A-fib posted by Jack Drum on November 02, 2001 at 09:28:38:
My cath was done only after we decided to pursue the valve repair and MAZE surgery. A cath is the only way that they can accurately identify any blockages and measure the condition of the heart valves. We found a 70% blockage in one artery that we had no idea was there. All of the other arteries were clear. They won't do a cath unless you have some of the classic sympthoms of blockage such as chest pain or are considering surgery. The cath gives the surgeon extremely accurate information on the condition of your heart that he needs to plan the surgery.