Experience in cardiac catheterisation and angiocardiography in the diagnosis and management of heart diseases in Lagos university teaching hospital.

The present set up of the Cardiovascular Laboratory of Lagos University Teaching Hospital and our experience in cardiac catheterisation and angiocardiography in the laboratory between 1972--1976 are documented. Most of the patients studied were adults and all but one had both right and left heart catheterisation. Trans-septal procedure and selective coronary angiography were not undertaken during the period under review. In about 25% of the cases studied the clinical diagnosis was proved incorrect or incomplete at cardiac catheterisation. There were no major complications during or following any of the procedures probably because of the limited procedures; the point is however made that cardiac catheterisation is not innocuous, and while it offers an important and valueable means of establishing the diagnosis of specific cardiac malformation and haemodynamics, it must be used indiscriminately.