Angiography/Angiogram

What is angiography?
Angiography is a study in which contrast material is injected into blood vessels for doctors to learn information about the blood vessels.

Why is it ordered?
Angiography is ordered to determine anatomy of blood vessels, to find out if blood vessels are diseased, and to find out if medications or surgery may be of help to a patient.

What should my health care professional know before I have this test/procedure done?

• Are you allergic to x-ray dye (iodinated contrast material)?
• Do you have any other allergies?
• Do you have blood clotting problems?
• Do you have kidney problems?

Where is this done?
Angiography is done in the radiology department in Duke University Hospital.

Do I need to have someone drive me home afterward?
Someone must come with you to drive you home.

Do I need to do anything to get ready for this test?

• You must not eat or drink anything after midnight prior to the procedure.
• If you are allergic to x-ray dye (iodinated contrast material), you must take medication for 24 hours before the procedure.

What happens during the procedure?
The patient will put on a hospital gown and lye on a table. An IV will be started.

Medication will be given through the IV to make the patient comfortable and sleepy. The area where the catheter will be placed into an artery for x-ray dye injection (usually the groin) will be shaved and washed off. The catheter will be put into the artery for the angiography. Pictures of the arteries will be taken with a big round camera that is close to the patient’s body.

Is this test/procedure painful?
The procedure can be painful but medications given to the patients vein block the pain and make the patient comfortable. If the patient is experiencing some discomfort, the nurse administers more medication.

How long does it take?
The procedure usually takes one to two hours.

What happens after the procedure?
The patient is taken a recovery room where a nurse observes the patient until the patient is alert enough to go home or to their room safely.

What are the risks with this procedure?
The artery that the catheter is placed into may become damaged, requiring an operation to repair it. The patient may have an allergic reaction to the x-ray dye. Infection can occur in the area that the catheter was placed into.

Call your doctor if any of these things happen to you:
Call your doctor if you have discomfort around the area that the catheter was inserted into or if you have fever or chills.

How will I get the results of this test?
Your doctor will give you the results of your test.

This article is intended as a resource for patients receiving their cancer care at Duke University Hospital or Duke Clinic. It is not intended to substitute for medical advice from your healthcare team. If your doctor’s instructions differ from the information in this article, please talk with your doctor before making any changes.

Source: Duke Cancer Patient Education Program / Patient & Family Education Committee 8/00