Can Cardiac Catherizaton show if you have had a heart attack?

[fluffypurrcat]

Hi, I am scheduled for my cardiac catherization on this Monday, June 2nd. I am wondering will the test show if I had a heart attack, and will it show what part of my heart was damaged? Do you have to have a 100% blockage in order to have a heart attack, or is it caused by a blood clot loosening up somewhere? Allso will the test show if I have what is called " STunned myocardium, or sometimes it is called Hibernating myocardium"

                     Also can they miss a heart attack if it is small or can they detect one of any size? What are the chances of having a artery nicked when the test is going on? I have read that the procedures are more risky and harder to perform on women only because they have smaller arteries than men, so it is more risky.

                         I would appreciate any feedback, esp from any women who have had this done, and anyone who had no idea they had a heart attack, and this test showed that they did indeed have one I would like to hear your experiences.       Thank you very much.                               Fluffypurrcat

[Rosewater]

Simple EKG, or 2D ECHO can tell you if had Heart attack

[DoryO]

I'm a 53 yr old woman and had last september a left heart cath--actually 2 of them.  Really nothing to worry about...mostly what Dr.s worry about is if and I mean IF they were in an knocked something loose and you had a blockage it may cause a problem.  No it doesn't have to be 100% blocked to have a heart attack.  I had minor ones back in '04 but was told after all the tests nothing was wrong.  Then when I started having problems last year I did all the tests and they still said nothing was wrong until I had 2 heart attacks in 1hr they did the heart cath and found my aorta 95% blocked....a stent was put in and I felt 100% better immediately.  The tests that Dr's do are only 70% accurate the only 100% accurate test for blockage is the left heart cath.  Good Luck you will be fine!!!  

[jim62]

Happy birthday !

I don't think that a cath will indicate a MI (or not).  Near as I can recall, a cath deals strictly with arteries and will show blockages there, but does not get into circulation in the heart itself.  I think that would be the domain of a nuclear stress echo or some such test.

Not to worry too much about the procedure itself.  The risk is pretty small of anything going wrong.  Just enjoy the wonderful drugs they give you.  They won't put you to sleep, but they sure do take off the rough edges.