What is Angiogram?
An angiogram is an x-ray of the arteries and the veins to detect blockage or narrowing of the blood vessels. An Interventional Cardiologist performs the angiogram.
An angiogram is an x-ray of the arteries and the veins to detect blockage or narrowing of the blood vessels. An Interventional Cardiologist performs the angiogram.
There are several types of angiograms used to diagnose a variety of conditions.
Angiogram or Angiography is used to examine the condition of the blood vessels and the way the blood flows through them. It helps to diagnose several health conditions and problems pertaining to the blood vessels which include:
Angiogram | Angioplasty |
Angiogram is carried out to visualise the lumen of the blood vessels for detecting blockages. | Coronary angioplasty is a method of clearing blockage and improving blood flow through a narrow artery with the help of devices like balloons or stents. |
It is indicated when the patient has a positive stress test, chest pain or heart attack. | It is indicated when there is significant blockage in any of the 3 blood vessels supplying the heart. |
The procedure involves introducing catheter through arteries of leg or arm and injecting dye to take images of the arteries. | The procedure involves insertion of catheter through arteries of leg or arm and injecting a dye. As soon as blockages come into view, an ultrathin wire is used to cross the blockage which is observed on x-ray screen.Once the wire is positioned, the balloon is passed over the wire and inflated, compressing the fat deposits against the wall of the blood vessel.The balloon is then deflated and withdrawn. Later balloon carrying stents are placed permanently, holding the blood vessel open which improves the blood flow. |
Angiography is used to investigate your blood vessels for potential heart condition. | Angioplasty involves widening the narrowed arteries to treat the condition. |
An angiogram can show doctors what's wrong with your blood vessels. It can:
Normal angiogram or mild blockage | The angiography may occasionally be normal and show no narrowing. In other cases, the angiography may reveal mild narrowing with an arterial diameter reduction of less than 50%. |
Blockage in small arteries | Small arteries or branches that serve just a small portion of the heart may be narrow. If the artery diameter is smaller than 2 cm, these are often left. In these cases, treatment with medication is recommended. |
Severe blockage in one or two major arteries | In cases where one or two arteries have severe narrowings, doctors may recommend angioplasty in which a special device called balloon or stent is used to open a narrowed vessel. |
Severe blockage in multiple arteries | It is often treated with bypass surgery |
The average cost of angiography in India is approximately Rs. 35,000. However, the prices may vary depending upon the part of the body for which the procedures is done, complexity involved in the procedure, the hospital you choose, and the city you are in
All invasive procedures can have complications which can be managed. The most common complications related to the arterial access site are:
Other complications related to an angiogram include:
People often confuse with the terms angiogram and angioplasty which sound the same and often used together. Let’s understand what is the difference between these two terms.
At Medicover Hospitals, we have the best team of interventional cardiologists who perform angiogram with precision while following all the safety protocols. We also have no-contrast or zero-contrast angiography procedure done by the experts, which makes angiograms safe for kidney and diabetic patients.
Angiogram is generally a safe procedure, but minor risks are common as any other procedure.
The various types of angiogram are coronary, pulmonary, renal, cerebral, digital subtraction angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, lymphangiography and retinal angiography.
The angiogram procedure may last for 30 to 60 minutes.
An angiogram is not usually painful. A doctor uses local anaesthesia to numb the area, so the pain is not felt during the procedure. There might be certain discomfort at the site of the insertion after the procedure is done which will resolve on its own.
Angiogram is also known as arteriogram which is used to detect blockages of blood vessels.
Angiogram done specifically on vessels supplying to the heart is referred to as heart catheter. The terms are used interchangeably often. It is also known as cardiac angiography in which the doctor gets images known as coronary angiograms or arteriograms using a cardiac catheter and scanning technology. These pictures can assist in determining whether a person's arteries are blocked or not.
The 3 common risks which can occur during angiogram are bleeding, allergic reaction and kidney damage due to injection of iodine based dye. However, there are zero-contrast angiograms also done these days which eliminates the risk of kidney damage.
Depending on the area where the doctor punctures, recovery usually takes between 2-4 hours in the hospital.
The angiogram procedure is done in hospitals equipped with CATH Lab by a certified interventional cardiologist.