Loss of life is a rare complication of this procedure. Fortunately, the risk of this happening has continued to decrease over the past twenty-five years as cardiac catheterization has become safer.
However, there are several conditions that will increase the risk of such a serious complication. These conditions include severe coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, severe heart failure and other serious medical conditions such as kidney problems and diabetes to name a few.
The risk of death also increases when procedures such as balloon angioplasty or atherectomy are used to fix abnormalities in the coronary arteries, especially in high-risk patients. Every effort will be made to minimize this risk prior to performing the cardiac catheterization.
