ANGIOGRAM

WHAT IS AN
ANGIOGRAM?
 An angiogram is a diagnostic test that uses x-rays to take pictures
of your blood vessels. A long flexible catheter(tube) is inserted
through the blood stream to deliver dye (contrast agent) into the
arteries making them visible on the x-ray. This test can help
diagnose a stroke, aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation, tumor,
clots, and arterial stenosis.
 WHY WOULD I HAVE A
CORONARY ANGIOGRAM?
 You’d usually have an angiogram because you have signs of coronary heart
disease (CHD), such as chest pain, and often because other tests, like an
electrocardiogram (ECG), have suggested you might have CHD. CHD is
caused by the build-up of fatty deposits in the coronary arteries. This
reduces the blood flow to the heart and leads to a number of problems,
including angina or in more serious cases a heart attack.
 A lot of people think the purpose of an angiogram is to find if there is any
disease in any of the coronary arteries. However, the tests mentioned
above will usually have given the consultant a good idea that you probably
have narrowing in one or more arteries. In most cases the purpose of the
angiogram is to find out where the blockages are and what to do about
them. 
 WHEN WOULD I HAVE AN
ANGIOGRAM?
 There are three circumstances where you might have an angiogram:

1. Other tests suggest a high likelihood of narrowings in the coronary

arteries and you have significant symptoms.
2. You have come into hospital with a ‘mild’ heart attack, you have a resting
that shows abnormalities, and a blood (troponin) test indicates some
heart damage.
3. If you’re having a major heart attack, you’d be brought directly to the
cardiac catheter lab to have an angiogram as part of an
urgent angioplasty procedure. An angiogram and angioplasty can often
be performed together if you need urgent treatment. An angioplasty
actually widens your artery, using a small inflatable balloon – usually
a stentis also put in, which acts as a scaffold and holds open the artery.