What is coronary angiography?
Coronary angiography is a diagnostic procedure that allows you to examine the condition of the coronary arteries.
During the procedure, a special catheter (thin tube) is inserted through a puncture in the skin into an artery on your arm or leg and guided to the coronary arteries under the control of X-rays. An X-ray contrast agent is injected through a catheter into the coronary arteries. The contrast agent moves through the blood vessel together with the blood. This process is recorded on video tape or in the computer memory.
Why is coronary angiography needed?
In order to correctly choose the method of treatment of coronary artery disease, it is necessary to know whether there is a significant narrowing of the coronary arteries, which and how many arteries are affected, by what percentage, in which place, in which area. All these questions can be answered only by coronary angiography.
What happens during the procedure
You usually arrive at the hospital the day before the procedure. You will have some blood and urine tests, an electrocardiogram will be recorded, and you will be examined by a doctor. You should not eat or drink the morning before the coronary angiogram. Your hair will be shaved at the puncture site and after premedication (an injection with sedatives and antiallergic agents) you will be taken to the X-ray operating room.
You should not drink or eat in the morning before coronary angiography. Your hair will be shaved at the puncture site and after premedication (an injection with sedatives and antiallergic agents) you will be taken to the X-ray operating room.
During the procedure, you will lie on your back. The puncture site is treated with iodine alcohol or another disinfecting solution. You will be covered with sterile sheets and napkins. The puncture site is anesthetized with a solution of novocaine (lidocaine).
A special tube (introducer) is inserted into the artery, through which the catheters are led to the arteries of the heart. In most cases, coronary angiography is painless. But if something bothers you during the procedure, be sure to inform the doctor about it. As a rule, coronary angiography lasts about 40 minutes.
After the procedure, the doctor removes the catheter from the artery and presses the puncture site for 10-20 minutes, after which he applies a bandage for 12 hours. In the morning, the nurse will remove your bandage and after the doctor examines you, you will be able to get up.
