Angiography is a type of heart test that a cardiologist or Heart surgeon suggests to check the condition of the Heart and to decide which treatment will be the best for his patient. Basically, it is an imaging test used to examine the blocked, enlarged or deformed arteries or veins in the body.
Coronary Angiography is an X-ray of the arteries in the heart. It helps in viewing how blood flows in the arteries.
How Coronary Angiography is done?
Coronary Angiography is done using a thin flexible tube called a Catheter. Through the catheter, a liquid dye is injected into the desired artery. The point from where the catheter is drawn can be the arm or groin. This point is cleaned and numbed with local anaesthesia. Then the hollow tube called a catheter is induced into the artery and the dye injected shows the flow of blood on the X-ray. Wherever there is a blockage or narrowing blood vessel, it shows on the X-ray. The whole process took nearly 30 to 60 minutes.
In Coronary angiography, the patient is discharged from the hospital after several hours or the next day.
Precautions and Risks after Angiography:
- There are some precautions that every heart patient undergoing Angiography should follow.
- They must take an ample liquid diet to prevent dehydration and for flushing of excess dye injected during the procedure.
- Do not lift heavy objects for a week if the catheter is injected through the groin.
- The puncture site may be slightly bruised and have a small bump for some days.
- Call the cardiologist or visit the hospital if symptoms like bleeding, new bruising or swelling, or discomfort at the catheter site.
- Infection, such as redness or fever, change in colour of the leg or arm that was used for the procedure and Weakness or numbness in the leg or arm where the catheter was inserted.