Diagnostic catheters: These catheters are used to inject contrast dye into the coronary arteries or heart chambers to visualize them during angiography, a procedure that helps diagnose blockages or abnormalities in the heart and blood vessels.
Guide catheters: Guide catheters are used to provide support and stability for other catheters during various procedures. They are typically larger in size and have a curved tip to help navigate the catheter to the desired location in the heart.
Balloon catheters: Balloon catheters are used for procedures such as balloon angioplasty, in which a balloon is inflated to widen narrowed or blocked arteries. These catheters have a small balloon at the tip that can be inflated and deflated as needed.
Stent catheters: Stent catheters are used to deliver and implant stents, small expandable metal mesh tubes that help keep arteries open after angioplasty. Stent catheters have a stent mounted on a balloon that is inflated inside the artery to expand the stent and secure it in place.
Ablation catheters: Ablation catheters are used for procedures such as radiofrequency ablation, which treats abnormal heart rhythms by destroying small areas of tissue in the heart that are causing the arrhythmias. Ablation catheters have electrodes at the tip that deliver radiofrequency energy to the target tissue.
Pressure-monitoring catheters: These catheters are used to measure pressure within the heart chambers or blood vessels. They have a small sensor at the tip that transmits pressure data to monitoring equipment.
The specific type of catheter used in a cardiac catheterization procedure will depend on the patient's condition and the specific procedure being performed. The procedure is typically performed in a specialized cardiac catheterization laboratory by an experienced team of healthcare professionals, including cardiologists, nurses, and technicians.