Right Heart Catheterisation (Right Heart Study)
Gold-standard invasive right heart pressure measurement — diagnosing pulmonary hypertension and assessing heart failure haemodynamics.
What is It?
A Right Heart Catheterisation, also known as a Right Heart Study, is a specialised invasive test that directly measures the pressures and blood flow within the right side of the heart and the pulmonary (lung) arteries. It provides highly accurate haemodynamic information about how well the heart is pumping and how the heart and lungs are working together.
At One Heart Centre, our cardiologists recognise Right Heart Catheterisation as the gold-standard investigation for diagnosing and assessing conditions such as pulmonary hypertension and complex heart failure.
Why is It Performed?
At One Heart Centre, our cardiologists may recommend a Right Heart Catheterisation to:
- Diagnose or assess pulmonary hypertension (elevated lung artery pressures)
- Evaluate unexplained shortness of breath
- Assess heart failure severity and fluid status
- Measure cardiac output — how effectively the heart pumps blood
- Guide treatment decisions in complex heart and lung conditions
- Assess patients before or after advanced cardiac therapies or transplant evaluation
This test provides precise, real-time measurements that cannot be obtained from scans or ultrasound imaging alone.
What Does the Test Involve?
The procedure is performed in a specialised hospital catheterisation laboratory. You will be awake but given medication to help you relax. Local anaesthetic is applied to the neck, arm or groin, where a thin catheter is inserted into a vein and gently guided into the right side of the heart.
As the catheter advances through the heart chambers and into the pulmonary arteries, pressure measurements and blood flow readings are taken in real time. In some cases, medications or fluids may be administered during the test to assess how the heart responds under different conditions.
The procedure usually takes 30–60 minutes. You may feel mild pressure at the insertion site but should not experience pain. After the test, the catheter is removed and the access site is carefully monitored. Most patients return home the same day.
What are the Benefits?
- Direct, highly accurate measurement of heart and lung pressures in real time
- Essential and definitive for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension
- Guides precise, evidence-based treatment decisions
- Helps accurately assess the severity and type of heart failure
- Provides critical haemodynamic information not available from non-invasive tests