Angiogram

What is an angiogram?

An angiogram is an image of your blood vessels, similar to an x-ray. An angiogram shows:

• How well the blood flows through the arteries
• Whether blockages exist-and if so, their location

An angiogram might be ordered if your doctor suspects blockages in:

• Your heart’s arteries (called coronary arteries)
• Arteries outside your heart (called peripheral arteries)
• Arteries in your neck (called carotid arteries)

The angiogram begins with a cardiac catheterization. During a cardiac catheterization, a small, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in your groin or arm. Your doctor gently “steers” the catheter toward your blocked blood vessel. Once the catheter is in place, your doctor injects dye to begin the angiogram. The dye allows your blood vessels to show up as images on a monitor-almost like roads on a map. If the angiogram shows a blocked artery, your doctor may be able to treat it at the time with a procedure such as balloon angioplasty.

What can I expect?

Your test will be performed in a “cath lab.” When you have an angiogram you undress and put on a hospital gown or sheet. You lie on an exam table and an intravenous (IV) line is put into your arm. The IV delivers fluids and medications during the procedure. The medication makes you groggy, but not unconscious. The doctor makes a small incision for the catheter. The area of the incision will be numbed so you shouldn’t feel pain, but you may feel some pressure as the catheter is inserted. When the doctor injects the dye, you might notice a:

• Warm flushing feeling, and maybe nausea, for a minute or so
• Metallic taste when the dye reaches the blood vessels in your mouth
• Camera rotating around you to get x-rays from different angles