Angiography is a special type of X-ray that allows your coronary arteries to be viewed and recorded on film. Your doctor can see if the blood vessels to your heart are clogged.
Before the Procedure
- Tell your doctor what medicines you take and any allergies you may have.
- Don’t eat or drink anything after midnight, the night before the procedure.
During the Procedure
- A long, thin tube called a catheter is placed inside an artery in your groin or arm and guided into your heart.
- A contrast dye is injected through the catheter into your blood vessels or heart chambers.
- X-rays are taken to to show clear photos of the inside of your heart and coronary arteries.
After the Procedure
- Close view of the heart showing a catheter injecting dye into a coronary artery.
- Your doctor or nurse will tell you how long to lie down and keep the insertion site still.
- If the insertion site was in your groin, you may need to lie down with your leg still for several hours.
- A nurse will check your blood pressure and the insertion site.
- You may be asked to drink fluid to help flush the contrast liquid out of your system.
- Have someone drive you home from the hospital.
- It’s normal to find a small bruise or lump at the insertion site. These common side effects should disappear within a few weeks.