How is an arteriogram performed?
After giving local anesthesia similar to that used in dental work, a needle is placed in a blood vessel and used to thread a thin tube or catheter into it. Contrast materal (dye) is injected through the catheter into the body’s circulatory system. This causes the blood vessels to appear opaque on the x-ray image. This allows the physician to better visualize the structure of the vessel(s) under examination. Many arteries can be examined by an arteriogram, including: arterial systems of the legs, kidneys, brain, and heart. Generally, an arteriogram procedure follows this process: • The patient is positioned on an x-ray table. • An intravenous line is inserted into a vein in the patient’s arm. • The patient is connected to an EKG monitor that records the electrical activity of the heart and monitors the heart during the procedure using small, adhesive, electrode patches. • Local anesthesia is given in the arm or groin and a small catheter is inserted. • The catheter is threaded into the
