Information for Patients

An angiography is a minimally invasive medical test that helps diagnose and treat medical conditions of the vessels.  Physicians use this procedure to identify abnormalities, such as aneurysms, detect atherosclerotic disease that has narrowed the arteries to the legs and to evaluate obstructions of vessels.

Angiography may eliminate the need for surgery.  It presents a very detailed, clear and accurate picture of your blood vessels.  This is especially helpful when a surgical procedure. 

Unlike CT or MR Angiography, the use of a catheter makes it possible to combine diagnosis and treatment in a single procedure.  For example, if an area of severe arterial narrowing is identified, an angioplasty or placement of a stent may be performed right away.

We typically recommend that you do not eat or drink anything except water for six hours before the procedure.  You can drink water up to 2 hours before the procedure.

Take all medication as normal. If you are an asthmatic or suffer from angina please bring your inhaler(s) and medication with you.

You will be admitted to a ward prior to the treatment and may need to stay in hospital overnight. If you are taking medicines such as blood thinners (warfarin, aspirin or clopidogrel), these may need to be altered around the time of your scan. 

Contact your GP or please feel free to telephone us if you have any questions or concerns about your medications. 

The following investigations involve exposure to x-rays.  X-rays consist of a type of radiation known as ionising radiation.  The doses that are used in medical x-rays are very low and the associated risks are minimal.  We keep the doses as low as possible and make sure that the benefits of having the x-ray outweigh any risk. 

Furthermore, the contrast dye that is used contains iodine, which some people are allergic to.  If you have had an allergic reaction to x-ray contrast in the past of if you have a known allergy to iodine, please let us know. 

The contrast dye can also affect kidney function, but a pre-procedure blood test will be performed to assess your kidneys' function.

As vascular interventional procedures need access to your vessels, bleeding or bruising can occur under the skin.  This is very common, but takes one to two weeks to disappear.  Occasionally, the artery can be damaged during the procedure.  As with all skin-piercing procedures, wound infections are possible.

During the examination the skin around your groin will be cleaned and then numbed with a local anaesthetic. A small tube is then inserted into the artery in your groin. This allows X-ray dye (contrast agent) to be injected while a series of X-ray pictures are taken. This colourless dye may cause a warm sensation throughout your lower body - this is quite normal.

We also use the tube as a passageway for a smaller tube and a balloon which are used to widen the artery. The tube is removed and pressure is applied to your groin for several minutes to prevent bruising.

The procedure takes about half an hour in total.

Some slight bruising of your groin may occur and your groin may ache for a day or two after the angioplasty. If you experience excessive pain or swelling when you return home, please contact your GP.

Patients who have undergone an angioplasty will be reviewed in the Angioplasty Clinic after approximately six weeks. In most cases, once the scan is completed, you will go back to the ward. 

You can eat and drink straight away, but a few hours of bed rest (typically 3-4 hours) is necessary. Typically, we prefer that our patients do not shower for at least 24 hours and do not drive or do any form of strenuous exercise for 48 hours after the procedure.

A sample video clip of what an angiogram with blockage may look like is shown below.