Angiography is a medical imaging technique used to visualize the inside of blood vessels, arteries, and veins in various parts of the body. It involves the injection of a contrast agent or dye into the blood vessel, followed by X-rays or other imaging modalities to capture images of the blood vessels.
There are different types of angiography procedures, depending on the area of the body being examined. For example, coronary angiography is used to visualize the blood vessels supplying the heart, while cerebral angiography is used to visualize the blood vessels in the brain.
Mostly angiography is scheduled in advance giving you time to prepare mentally and physically. But, in some cases, due to the urgency of the situation coronary angiograms are performed on an emergency basis. Angiography is performed in the catheterization (cath) lab of a hospital. It may last for 1 to 2 hours.
Before your angiogram procedure starts, your health care team may perform a physical exam and check your vital signs — blood pressure and pulse. They will review your medical history, including allergies and you take. The doctor will give you general guidelines which include:
Fasting – Not to eat or drink anything after midnight before your angiogram.
You’ll usually be awake, local anaesthetic will be used to numb the area so it does not hurt and a small incision, cut is made at the entry site, usually near your wrist or groin. A short sheath (plastic tube) will be inserted into your artery. The catheter is inserted through the sheath into your blood vessel and carefully threaded or guided to your heart or coronary arteries. You won’t feel the catheter moving through your body.
Special dye is injected through the catheter. As the dye moves through the blood vessels, doctors can observe its flow and identify any blockages in the concerned areas. Depending on the doctor’s observation during the angiogram, and if required, you may have to go for an additional catheter procedure at the same time, such as an angioplasty or a stent placement to open up a narrowed, blocked artery.