Is cardiac catheterization dangerous? im having one next week. my doctor explained the procedure, and it seems like theres a lot that could go wrong. are the odds of dying during this procedure high?

Cardiac : Cardiac catheterization can be dangerous since it is an invasive procedure, but under good care with physicians with a lot of experience, the risks can be minimized. The odds of death from a diagnostic procedure are low. However, if an intervention is performed, that risk increases significantly. The most common risks of the procedure are bleeding and bruising at the site of catheter insertion. More serious risks are stroke, arrhythmias, heart attack, injury to blood vessels requiring emergency bypass surgery, and kidney failure. The frequency of these complications is probably less than 1:100 or 1:200 procedures.

About 1 in 10,000: The risks of any procedure must be balanced against the benefit to you. Your doctor should given you information about why the test is necessary. A diagnostic heart cath has a mortality risk of about 1 in 10, 000, but there are other complications to consider such as stroke, bleeding, and heart attack during the procedure usually less than 1 in 1000. The most common problem is groin bruising 4 %.

Generally very safe: Odds of dying less than 1 in 1000.