How a Catheter-Based Coronary Angiogram Is Performed
During a coronary angiogram, your interventional cardiologist inserts a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) into an artery in your groin or wrist. Your cardiologist guides this catheter through your blood vessels to your heart, and then injects a special dye into the catheter that helps provide contrast during visualization. An x-ray machine is used to create pictures and movies of your beating heart and surrounding vessels.
Having the catheter already in place means that, if necessary, your interventional cardiologist can immediately perform a coronary angioplasty to open any blockages he or she finds.
After your angiogram, our specially trained cardiologists review the results and recommend the next steps for treatment or methods for maintaining a healthy heart.