heart catheterization

  My dad has an abdominal aortic annurism which has progressed to the
  size which requires surgery.  He also has had a heart attack and suffers from
  pericarditis and uses nitro pills.  Latest tests (e.g., a nuclear stress test)
  show that his heart has a non-defined blockage as well.  Before doing the abdominal annurism
  surgery, they are recommending a catheterization to further diagnose the
  damage to the heart.  Two questions:
  Is it common procedure to do a heart catheterization on an individual who
  has an aortic annurism? and "Is it possible to combine two major surgeries and
  to repair the annurism and the heart damage at the same time?
  J.
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Dear J:
Many times patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) have coronary artery disease or a suspicion of coronary artery disease and require a cardiac catheterization. Special precautions need to be taken during the catheterization to decrease the chance of a complication from the AAA.
If your father has significant blockages seen on catheterization, these can be treated with either angioplasty or bypass surgery. This would need to be done before the AAA surgery to make the AAA surgery safer.  The surgeries cannot be combined.
I hope this is useful. Good luck. Feel free to write back with further questions.
If you wish to be evaluated here at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist at desk F15.  Information provided in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only.  Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your doctor.