How is the Angiogram performed?
The most common angiogram performed is to visualize the blood in the coronary arteries. A long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter is used so as to administer the radiocontrast agent at the desired area to be visualized. The catheter is threaded into an artery in the groin or forearm, and the tip is advanced through the arterial system into one of the two major coronary arteries. X-ray images of the transient radiocontrast distribution within the blood flowing within the coronary arteries allows visualization of the size of the artery openings. Presence or absence of atherosclerosis or atheroma within the walls of the arteries cannot be clearly determined. See coronary catheterization for more detail. Angiography is also commonly performed to identify vessel narrowing in patients with retinal vascular disorders, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. For a free evaluation of your treatment needs and cost, please contact us. The information provided herein is not inte
You will be taken to a specially equipped room where the angiogram will take place. After transfer to an X-ray table, heart monitoring equipment will be placed on your chest and blood pressure equipment will be placed on your arm. The angiogram is performed under sterile conditions. You will be draped with sterile sheets and all personnel will be wearing sterile clothing. The area of catheter insertion will be cleansed with a cool antiseptic solution and the cardiologist will inject the area with a local anesthetic. You will experience a momentary stinging sensation quickly followed by numbness. At the beginning of the angiogram, a small puncture is made in the skin at the chosen insertion site. A sheath is inserted into the opening and a guiding catheter is fed through the sheath into your blood vessel. Usually, the site of insertion is the femoral artery in the right groin, although the left femoral or brachial artery in the arm can also be used. The catheter is advanced in the circu
