An Angiography is a diagnostic procedure that uses imaging to show your provider how your blood flows through your blood vessels or heart.
Your provider can use X-rays or other types of imaging for your angiogram.Angiography is a type of X-ray used to check blood vessels.Blood vessels do not show clearly on a normal X-ray, so a special dye called a contrast agent needs to be injected into your blood first.
An injected contrast material makes it easy to see where blood is moving and where blockages are.
This highlights your blood vessels, allowing your doctor to see any problems.
The X-ray images created during angiography are called angiograms.
Types of Angiography
There are several different types of angiography, depending on which part of the body is being looked at.
Common types include:
coronary angiography – to check the heart and nearby blood vessels
cerebral angiography – to check the blood vessels in and around the brain
pulmonary angiography – to check the blood vessels supplying the lungs
renal angiography – to check the blood vessels supplying the kidneys
What happens during an angiogram test?
Numb the area where the catheter will go.
Access your blood vessel with a needle.
Thread a wire through the needle.
Slide a long, slender tube called a catheter over the needle and into a large artery (usually in your groin area).
Slowly and carefully thread the catheter through your artery until the catheter’s tip reaches the part of the blood vessel they want to examine.
Inject a small amount of contrast material (dye) through the catheter and into your blood vessel segment. For a few seconds, this can make you feel flushed or like you need to pee.
Take X-rays.
Watch where the contrast agent goes on the X-ray monitor to see where and how well blood is moving in your blood vessels.
What are the risks of an angiogram test?
Risks of an angiogram procedure usually involve your puncture site and include:
Bruises. These are common and go away in one to three weeks.
Bleeding.
Infection.
Pain.
Kidney issues.
An allergic reaction to the contrast material (dye).
Injury to blood vessels.
A blood vessel blockage that could cause a heart attack or stroke (rarely).