What is cerebral or spinal angiography?
An angiography is an examination to evaluate blood vessels in the head, neck, brain, or spine that provides an accuracy and quality of resolution better than any other imaging technique at this time. Using local anesthesia, a catheter is placed in an artery in the groin and then directed to the vessels to be examined. Once the catheter is in position, a contrast agent (“dye”) is injected which makes the selected blood vessels visible on X-ray. The procedure typically lasts about an hour. Washington University interventional neuroradiologists perform about 1,000 diagnostic cerebral and spinal angiograms per year in addition to the 250-300 angiograms performed for interventional procedures. Our patients are cared for at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. All adult and pediatric procedures are performed on the 3rd floor of the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, just off the main lobby of Barnes-Jewish Hospital (South campus). In addition to the dedicated intervent
