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An angiogram is a medical diagnostic test that produces images of your blood vessels, including arteries and veins. The test is an important tool for your cardiovascular health journey because it can help diagnose cardiac conditions and also help evaluate already existing cardiac conditions.
How does an angiogram work, when might your doctor recommend one, and what does preparation and recovery look like for the procedure? Carda is here to answer these questions and more. Read on to support your heart health and overall well-being.
An angiogram is a diagnostic procedure that takes a series of X-ray images of your arteries and veins.
First, you will put on a hospital gown. Then, your doctor will numb the area with a local anesthetic. You’ll be asked to lie down on an X-ray table underneath an X-ray machine.
During the procedure, a cardiologist will thread a cardiac catheter into the puncture site and go through your artery to navigate to a particular section of the blood vessel. Once they reach the section that they want to assess, they will inject a special dye into your blood vessel.
Once the dye is inside your blood vessel, the next part of the procedure involves taking a series of vascular X-ray photographs. The pictures can depict the pattern of blood flow through your arteries and veins since the dye makes them visible. If there is a blockage or a narrowed blood vessel, an angiogram can detect this through its contrast dye images.
There are several different types of angiograms, depending on what organ or tissue area your doctor needs to view the blood flow through veins and arteries.
Common angiogram types include a coronary angiogram, a pulmonary angiogram, or a renal angiogram.
A coronary angiogram takes X-ray images of your heart, using dye to depict the inside of your coronary arteries. Likewise, a pulmonary angiogram examines the blood vessels in your lungs, and a renal angiogram depicts the blood vessels in your kidney. Your doctor may also take X-ray images of your brain, your reproductive system, or your liver.
A doctor might recommend an angiogram for several different reasons, including to diagnose conditions, to prepare for surgery, or to help develop a treatment plan for you. Let’s take a closer look at each of these angiogram applications below.
A leading reason for an angiogram is to help diagnose heart and blood vessel conditions. Because the dye contrasts the X-ray image, you can see where blood flows through your veins and arteries, allowing you to notice narrowed or blocked areas.
An angiogram can help detect atherosclerosis, which is the narrowing of the coronary artery walls due to a buildup of plaque deposits. Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of coronary artery disease, which occurs when the coronary arteries cannot send enough blood supply to the heart muscle.
The narrowed artery can cause the nutrient and oxygen supply to the heart to be severely diminished, which can result in a heart attack or sometimes even heart failure if not treated promptly. An angiogram can also help diagnose blood clots in the veins or arteries, as well as brain aneurysms, pulmonary embolisms, and other medical conditions.
Additionally, a pulmonary angiogram can help inform a doctor if a patient has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD occurs when the air passages in the lungs experience an obstruction.
The contrast dye in an angiogram can indicate where blood vessel damage and blockages are, which can help depict how severe a person's COPD diagnosis is. It can also determine the disease progression for COPD by looking at how much the airway passages have narrowed.
Your doctor may suggest an angiogram if you complain of chest pain (angina), abnormal heart rate or blood pressure, or if you have heart disease or another heart condition that is getting worse.
Other interventions and tests your doctor may request include a CT scan, a stress test, or an electrocardiogram, depending on your medical history.
An angiogram can also be helpful in preparing for surgery because it can indicate a specific area where there is an issue with the veins and arteries. Knowing where the damage to veins or arteries is, the surgeon can better understand what kind of operation needs to be done to help repair the damage or assuage the symptoms.
An angiogram can also help a healthcare provider plan treatment options for afflicted blood vessels or veins. For example, if the doctor detects a blockage, they can quickly make a plan to eliminate the blockage right away during the same procedure.
This method is called an angioplasty, and it occurs when the doctor inflates a small balloon at the site of the blockage to push the blockage against the artery wall and open up artery space for better blood flow. If the opening is not enough to restore adequate blood flow, then they may add a stent to help keep the opening clear.
To prepare for an angiogram, first check with your healthcare provider about the necessary steps you should take, including what medications you should stop taking before the procedure.
At midnight the night before your procedure, you should stop consuming food or drink. You should also stop taking aspirin or blood thinner medications.
On the day of your procedure, it is important that you drink only clear liquids, which means only tea, black coffee, water, or broth. Have someone drive you to your procedure, and keep a list of your current medications and medical conditions on hand as well.
An angiogram often diagnoses heart and blood vessel conditions. If you have a cardiac condition, there are many ways to support recovery after an angiogram. Although you’ll need someone else to drive you home since you just came off of anesthesia, you can often still go home the same day after your procedure.
You will likely feel more tired at home for the next few days after your procedure, and it is important that someone stays the night with you for your first night after the procedure. Some people do prefer to stay at the hospital for the first night if they don’t have anyone available at home to help monitor their recovery.
Your doctor will likely give you a treatment plan to follow based on the results of your angiogram imaging procedure. In addition to following up with your doctor about your treatment plan, including potential medications or future medical procedures, you can maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle at home to help support your recovery.
A heart-healthy lifestyle at home includes eating a heart-healthy diet rich in the following:
Additionally, getting enough sleep every night, staying hydrated, taking time to manage your stress, and practicing self-care are important elements of a lifestyle that supports cardiac health.
Finally, participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program is an important step you can take to promote your cardiovascular wellness. A cardiac rehabilitation program combines education with health management strategies as well as guided exercise routines in order to help strengthen your heart muscle and to help you on your own unique cardiac wellness journey in your recovery.
Carda’s cardiac rehab program is unique because it exists fully online, which means that you don’t have to deal with the hassle of parking at a facility or waiting on a waitlist for a long time before even getting into a program. All you need is a referral from your healthcare provider, and you can sign up with our online form.
Once you sign up, you’ll be paired with an expert physiologist to help guide you through your safe exercise routines. We’ll also send you all the monitoring equipment you need to engage in your heart health journey so that you can comfortably participate from your own home.
An angiogram is a medical imaging test that uses X-ray pictures and contrast dye to create images of your veins and blood vessels. The procedure results are an important tool in diagnosing heart and blood vessel conditions, as well as in helping you prepare for surgery or plan treatment options with your healthcare provider.
If you have a heart or blood vessel condition, Carda is here to support you on your journey. We believe that cardiac wellness should be accessible and personalized for each individual, which is why we bring Gold Standard Cardiac Care to the comfort of your own home. Support your heart health and overall wellness today with help from our team of experts.
Sources:
Pulmonary Angiogram | Stanford Health Care
Angiogram: Procedure Details, Risks & Recovery | CDC
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