You may be able to go home the same day, or you may have to remain in the hospital overnight. During this time, pressure may be applied to the incision to prevent bleeding and promote healing. You'll need to lie flat for several hours to avoid bleeding if the catheter was inserted in the groin. When your condition is stable, you return to your own room, where you're monitored regularly. You'll be taken to a recovery area for observation and monitoring. When the angiogram is over, the catheter is removed from your arm or groin and the incision is closed with manual pressure, a clamp or a small plug. Preparation and post-procedure care can add more time. Having an angiogram takes about one hour, although it may be longer, especially if combined with other cardiac catheterization procedures. Other noninvasive tests, such as ultrasound, may help your doctor evaluate identified blockages. Depending on what your doctor discovers during your angiogram, you may have additional catheter procedures at the same time, such as a balloon angioplasty or a stent placement to open up a narrowed artery. As it moves through your blood vessels, your doctor can observe its flow and identify any blockages or constricted areas. But again, tell your health care team if you feel pain or discomfort. When this happens, you may have a brief sensation of flushing or warmth. Tell your health care team if you have any discomfort.ĭye (contrast material) is injected through the catheter. Threading the catheter shouldn't cause pain, and you shouldn't feel it moving through your body. The catheter is inserted through the sheath into your blood vessel and carefully threaded to your heart or coronary arteries. The area is washed and disinfected and then numbed with an injection of local anesthetic.Ī small incision is made at the entry site, and a short plastic tube (sheath) is inserted into your artery. A blood pressure cuff tracks your blood pressure and another device, a pulse oximeter, measures the amount of oxygen in your blood.Ī small amount of hair may be shaved from your groin or arm where a flexible tube (catheter) will be inserted. You'll be very sleepy and may drift off to sleep during the procedure, but you'll still be able to be easily awakened to follow any instructions.Įlectrodes on your chest monitor your heart throughout the procedure. You may be given a sedative through the IV to help you relax, as well as other medications and fluids. X-ray cameras will move over and around your head and chest to take pictures from many angles.Īn IV line is inserted into a vein in your arm. Because the table may be tilted during the procedure, safety straps may be fastened across your chest and legs. The catheter is then threaded through the blood vessels to the heart.įor the procedure, you lie on your back on an X-ray table. In a cardiac catheter procedure, a health care provider inserts a catheter in an artery in the wrist (radial artery) or in the groin (femoral artery). You may have to remove contact lenses, eyeglasses, jewelry and hairpins. You'll also empty your bladder and change into a hospital gown. The team may perform a physical exam and check your vital signs - blood pressure and pulse.
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