Coronary Angiography/ Coronary catheterisation
The procedure involves laying on your back on a movable bed. The area is numbed with a local anaesthetic around the groin or the wrist. A catheter (thin, flexible tube) will be inserted into one of the arteries in the numbed area (either around the groin or wrist) and then passed up to the heart and coronary arteries [[Figure 1], with the guidance of x-rays.
A contrast (dye) will be injected into the catheter and pass through the coronary arteries, where X-ray images will be taken. This will highlight any narrowings or obstructions in the blood vessels. Who needs a coronary angiogram?Patient with acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, stable angina and severe symptomatic ischaemia.When should coronary angiogram be considered in patients with stable coronary heart disease?In patients with stable coronary artery disease, characterised by fatty deposits (plaque) in the arteries that supply blood to the heart [[Figure 2], coronary angiography may be necessary if coronary revascularisation may be beneficial in improving symptoms or prognosis.
Coronary angiography is also relevant in patients in whom non-invasive tests have been inconclusive/ negative but who continue to have chest pain.When should coronary angiogram be considered in patients with unstable coronary heart disease?Coronary angiography with a view to revascularisation should be considered in all patients who present with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
