What is right heart catheter (RHC)?
Right heart catheterization is a medical procedure that evaluates how well your heart is pumping blood throughout your body. It measures blood pressure and oxygen levels in the right side of your heart and your lungs. This procedure can diagnose and manage various heart conditions such as cardiomyopathy, heart failure, heart valve disease, and pulmonary hypertension. During the procedure, a catheter is guided through a vein to the right side of your heart, measuring the pressure along the way. It can also be used to administer heart medication if needed.
What does it do?
Right heart catheter is a medical procedure that is used to investigate how well your heart is working. It is a useful way to understand how well blood flows through your heart and to measure the pressure inside your heart and lungs. All this information helps your doctor understand more about your heart condition and the best available treatment pathway.
How does it work?
As the catheter travels towards your heart, pressure measurements are taken in your arteries and the upper and lower chamber on the right side of your heart. Indirect pressure measurements can also be taken for the left side of your heart. Right hand catheter can also determine the volume of blood pumped per minute. Depending on the results, your doctor may also administer heart medication in the same procedure to see how the heart responds.
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