Coronary angiography

Coronary angiography is sometimes performed with cardiac catheterization . This is a procedure that measures pressures in the heart chambers. Before the test starts, you will be given a mild sedative to help you relax. An area of your body (the arm or groin) is cleaned and numbed with a local numbing medicine…

You should not eat or drink anything for 8 hours before the test starts. You will wear a hospital gown. You must sign a consent form before the test. Your health care provider will explain the procedure and its risks. Tell your provider if you: Are allergic to any medicines or if you have had a bad reaction to…

In most cases, you will be awake during the test. You may feel some pressure at the site where the catheter is placed. You may feel a flushing or warm sensation after the dye is injected. After the test, the catheter is removed. You might feel a firm pressure being applied at the insertion site to prevent bleeding. If…

Coronary angiography may be done if: You have angina for the first time. Your angina that is becoming worse, not going away, occurring more often, or happening at rest (called unstable angina ). You have aortic stenosis or another heart valve problem. You have atypical chest pain, when other tests are normal. You had…

There is a normal supply of blood to the heart and no blockages.

An abnormal result may mean you have a blocked artery. The test can show how many coronary arteries are blocked, where they are blocked, and the severity of the blockages.

Cardiac catheterization carries a slightly increased risk when compared with other heart tests. However, the test is very safe when performed by an experienced team. Generally, the risk for serious complications ranges from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 500. Risks of the procedure include the following: Cardiac tamponade…

If a blockage is found, your cardiologist may perform a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to open the blockage. This can be done during the same procedure, but may be delayed for various reasons.

Dangas GD, Mehran R. Coronary angiography and intravascular imaging. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine . 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 21. Lange RA, Mukherjee D. Acute coronary syndrome: unstable…