Outpatient cardiac catheterization and arteriography: Twenty-month experience at the Arizona Heart Institute.

Arteriographic examination of the coronary, cerebral, and peripheral circulatory systems is the ultimate diagnostic technique for the identification and quantification of atherosclerotic occlusive disease. In the past, hospitalization has been required for this invasive procedure. Recently, however, the concept of outpatient catheterization and arteriography has become a reality. To investigate the integrity, safety, and cost-effectiveness of our outpatient invasive procedures laboratory, we analyzed our experience with 254 cardiac catheterizations and 174 peripheral arteriograms performed during a 20-month period. There were no deaths or major complications. Minor complications (11%) included bleeding from the cutdown site, nausea, numbness, and allergic reactions. Two patients with arrhythmias required cardioversion. Nine patients (2%) were transferred to the hospital for observation or immediate surgery due to the nature of their atherosclerotic lesions. This study reveals (1) the technical quality, safety, indications, and contraindications for outpatient catheterization and arteriography; (2) the enthusiastic patient acceptance of outpatient invasive diagnostic studies; (3) the economic impact of these procedures on escalating health-care costs; and (4) the potential for outpatient catheterization and arteriography on a broad scale.