What To Expect From A Coronary Angiography
Your heart needs a constant supply of oxygenated blood in order to function properly. That is the job of your coronary arteries. They are located on the surface of the heart muscle and begin at the aorta. As blood moves from your left atrium into your left ventricle, the coronary arteries help oxygenate it. Over time, those arteries can become clogged by plaque or clots. That hampers the flow of blood and reduces the amount available to your heart. If this happens, you may suffer a heart attack or angina.
Coronary angiography (CA) is a procedure that doctors use to study the health and function of your coronary arteries. It is virtually painless. In this article, we’ll explain how it is performed and what happens during the process. We’ll also describe what you can expect after the procedure has been performed.
How The Process Works
Your coronary arteries do not show up on X-rays. Your doctor needs to send a dye to the site in order to create an angiogram. This is done through a catheter. Your doctor will make a small hole into a blood vessel from your groin or arm. A sheath is inserted into the hole. A thin guide wire is inserted into the sheath and threaded through the blood vessel toward your coronary arteries.
Once the guide wire has reached the site, your physician will place a catheter over it. The catheter is guided toward your coronary arteries over the wire. Once the catheter reaches the site, the guide wire is removed.
The next step is for your doctor to inject the dye through the catheter in order to flood your coronary arteries. This dye allows X-ray images to be taken of the site with which your physician can identify plaque or clots that are hampering the flow of blood. These X-ray images are called angiograms.
If an obstruction is identified, your physician may perform angioplasty to broaden the artery. This is accomplished by using a small balloon at the end of the catheter. The balloon is expanded, which widens the area so that blood can flow past the obstruction. A stent is placed within the artery to keep the passageway widened after the catheter has been removed. Once the catheter has been withdrawn, a bandage is placed over the puncture site to prevent bleeding.
After The Procedure
While coronary angiography is painless, you may feel soreness at the site in which the catheter was inserted. You’ll be placed into the care of nurses who will watch for bleeding or other complications over several hours. Once they are confident that your blood pressure has returned to normal and your heart rate is within an appropriate range, you’ll be released from the hospital.
When you speak with your doctor about coronary angiography, you’ll have the opportunity to sign consent forms for balloon angioplasty. Use that time to ask your doctor to clarify any questions you have about the procedure.
Potential Lifestyle Changes After Undergoing A Maze Procedure
Some More Information on These Topics from Related Posts
No Comment Received
Leave A Reply