CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION - Cardiac catheterization has given physicians the opportunity to directly diagnose and ascertain the extent of coronary artery occlusive disease. Using this procedure, physicians can make more accurate decisions concerning the best form of treatment for each patient's condition. Cardiac catheterization involves the placement of a thin flexible, hollow tube into the femoral artery in the groin. From here, the catheter is advanced under x-ray guidance (fluoroscopy) through the aorta to the heart. Radiopaque contrast, injected into the coronary arteries (as they branch off the aorta) will serve to highlight the course of these vessels when an x-ray is performed. Any coronary blockage or narrowing can be detected using this procedure.