▶ Guiding catheter is used during certain types of minimally invasive procedures, such as angiography or angioplasty. The catheter is a thin, flexible tube that is inserted into a patient's blood vessel, usually through the groin, and guided to the area of interest.

▶ Once in place, the guiding catheter serves as a conduit for other medical instruments, such as wires and balloons, that are used to perform the procedure. It also helps the physician visualize the blood vessels and organs in the area of interest by injecting contrast dye through the catheter and using X-ray or other imaging techniques to create detailed images.