When is angiography used

What is an angiogram? An angiogram is an x-ray examination of the blood vessels arteries and veins. An Interventional Neuroradiologist performs this using fluoroscopy x-ray guidance. During the angiogram, you are awake, but are given medications to help you relax. A thin tube catheter is placed in the femoral artery groin area through a small nick in the skin about the size of the tip of a pencil.

The catheter is guided to the area to be studied. A contrast dye is then injected into the catheter while taking x-rays 1of the area. The contrast makes the artery visible on the x-ray. In most cases, several contrast injections and several pictures are needed to complete the examination.

Once the angiogram is complete the catheter is removed. Pressure will be put on the place where the catheter was for 10 to 20 minutes. The pressure stops the artery from bleeding.

In most cases the angiogram takes one to two hours to complete. Why an angiogram? Angiography is used to image the blood vessels and the blood flowing through them. It is used to detect abnormalities of the blood vessels. An angiogram can identify exactly where an artery is blocked, how severe the blockage is and what is the cause of the blockage.

An angiogram is used to detect cerebral aneurysms as well as other vascular abnormalities. An angiogram is used as part of a treatment for some conditions such as embolization of an aneurysm or blocking the blood supply to a tumor or vascular malformation prior to surgery.

An angiogram is also used to find the cause of cerebral bleeding or to check to see if a prior treatment has been successful.

An angiogram helps diagnose the cause of symptoms such as severe headache, memory loss, slurred speech, dizziness, blurred or double vision, weakness or numbness, or loss of coordination or balance.

If the groin was the site used, you may be asked to avoid heavy lifting and straining for a week to prevent bleeding.

As with all medical procedures, there are both risks and benefits associated with having a coronary angiography and angioplasty. Talk to your doctor, nurse and other health professional about the risks and benefits for you, and any concerns you may have.

Your healthcare team can give you more information about your individual circumstances and level of risk. If the pictures from your angiography show a narrowing or blockage that can be treated immediately, your cardiologist may decide to continue and put a stent in at once angioplasty , as part of the same procedure.

Real stories, healthy recipes and frequently-asked questions from people with heart disease, plus a whole lot more. Edit this entry. Wellbeing What is my BMI? Print this page. Share this page. An angiogram can help diagnose conditions that affect blood vessels and the flow of blood through them.

These include:. The image on an angiogram can also be used to help plan procedures such as angioplasty and stenting or surgery. Read more about what an angiogram is used for. The following short film is of Dr Peter Henriksen, Consultant Cardiologist for NHS Scotland, explaining what you need to know before having coronary angioplasty and stenting.

An angiogram is carried out in hospital. It takes between 30 minutes and 2 hours, depending on the complexity of the procedure. You will usually be allowed to go home on the same day, although in some cases you may need to stay in hospital overnight. In most cases, angiograms are planned procedures that are performed under local anaesthetic. However, general anaesthetic may be used if young children need to have the procedure.

The doctor will feed a catheter a very thin, flexible tube into one of your arteries, usually through an incision cut in your groin or wrist. They will then guide the catheter into the area that needs to be examined, while a radiographer moves the X-ray machine into position for the images. The dye medically known as a contrast dye or contrast medium is injected through the catheter and into the blood vessel.

A series of X-rays is then taken. Read more about what happens during an angiogram. An angiogram is a generally safe and painless procedure. The risks of serious complications are low. Sometimes, an angiogram can cause bruising where the catheter is inserted. Also, some people may occasionally have an allergic reaction to the contrast dye. This is usually easily treated with medication. Read more about the complications of an angiogram. If you have circulation problems, your GP may recommend that you have an angiogram to find out what's causing the problem.

The results of an angiogram can also help to determine suitable treatment options. Dense areas of your body such as your bones and, to a lesser extent, certain organs, such as your lungs, absorb X-rays , so they show up as clear white areas on X-ray images. However, conventional X-rays don't produce clear images of blood vessels and blood flow.

During an angiogram, a special type of dye medically known as a contrast dye or contrast medium is injected into the area where the blood vessels are to be examined.

Like your bones and other dense areas of the body, the contrast dye absorbs X-rays. As the contrast dye moves through your blood vessels, a series of X-rays can be taken to examine how it moves. By tracking its movement, it's possible to identify any problems with the blood vessels, such as blockages or sections that are unusually narrow. A similar procedure that's used to study the blood vessels in your head and neck is called a cerebral angiogram.

A cerebral angiography may be used if it's thought that the blood vessels supplying blood to your brain the carotid arteries have become narrowed, disrupting the flow of blood. This can be dangerous because it could trigger a stroke or a transient ischemic attack mini-stroke. If you've had a stroke, a cerebral angiogram can be used to assess the extent of the damage to the blood vessels. In some cases, it may be able to pinpoint the underlying cause of a stroke. A cerebral angiogram can also help to identify an aneurysm a bulge in the blood vessel wall in your brain or a brain tumour, which is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain.

Studying the flow of blood to the tumour can help to determine whether it's growing, which can be useful when planning treatment. Coronary angiography is used to study the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle. It may be used if you have any of the following conditions:. A coronary angiogram may also be used if you have a heart condition.

It helps to determine the most appropriate type of treatment for you. This might be:. A pulmonary angiogram can be used to examine the blood vessels in the lungs. It's usually done when a person has a blood clot in one of the blood vessels in their lungs. This is known as a pulmonary embolism. Performing a traditional catheter angiogram carries a high risk of complications. Therefore, another type of angiography, known as a computerised tomography pulmonary angiography CTPA , is usually the preferred option.

If you have a pulmonary embolism in one of your lungs, it will show up on the CT scan as a blockage in your blood supply. An extremity angiogram can be used to examine the blood vessels in your arms and legs.