Swan-Ganz catheterization is the passing of a thin tube (catheter) into the right side of the heart to monitor the heart’s function and blood flow in persons who are very ill.
The test can be done while you are in bed in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital or in special procedure areas such as a cardiac catheterization laboratory.
Before the test starts, you will be given a mild sedative to help you relax.
An area of your body, usually the neck or groin, is cleaned and numbed with a local anesthetic. The health care provider will make a small cut in a vein in your neck or groin. Sometimes, it is done in another area. A thin hollow tube called a catheter is inserted through the cut and up into a vein. It is carefully moved up into the right atrium (upper chamber) of the heart. X-ray images help the doctor see where the catheter should be placed.
The catheter is threaded through two heart valves (the tricuspid and pulmonary valve) and placed into the pulmonary (lung) artery. Once in place, the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery is measured.
During the procedure, your heart’s rhythm will be constantly watched using an ECG.