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Expert medical information on cardiac procedures, conditions & treatments
Coronary angiography is an X-ray procedure used to examine the coronary arteries – the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart muscle. During the procedure, an image (called an angiogram) is displayed on a monitor, showing the doctor what your coronary arteries look like.
Although 'angiogram' is the name of the image and 'angiography' is the name of the procedure, many people refer to the test as an angiogram.
The main reason for doing coronary angiography is to check the health of your coronary arteries and see if there are any blockages or areas of narrowing. The procedure may also show up some problems with the way the valves and muscular walls of your heart are working, or may show a cardiac aneurysm (a bulging of the heart wall) or a birth defect such as a hole in the inner wall (septum) separating the chambers of the heart.
As well as being used to diagnose problems with the coronary arteries, coronary angiography can be used to treat certain conditions, if done using the technique of cardiac catheterisation. For example, a procedure known as angioplasty can be done, where narrowed or blocked coronary arteries are dilated by inflating a tiny balloon on the tip of the catheter, often followed by the placement of a stent. These types of procedures can't be done during CT coronary angiography, because this doesn't involve the use of a catheter.
Coronary angioplasty and stenting is a treatment used to widen and open up narrowed or blocked arteries supplying your heart muscle. During the procedure, the narrowed artery is stretched open with a balloon (angioplasty), and a metal strut (stent) is implanted into the coronary artery. This keeps the narrowing open and allows your blood to flow more freely.
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
Like all organs in the body, the heart needs a constant supply of blood. The heart has its own network of blood vessels known as the coronary arteries. In adults, these arteries can become narrowed and hardened (atherosclerosis), restricting blood flow and leading to angina. While angina can be treated with medication, angioplasty may be required to restore blood supply in severe cases or as an emergency treatment after a heart attack.
Relieve your symptoms of discomfort, pain, tightness and heaviness.
Reduce your need for angina medication.
Ease symptoms such as breathlessness.
Enable you to be more active.
Improve your ability to do everyday activities, such as climbing stairs and walking any distance.
Make you feel generally better so you're more able to do the things you want to do.
Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) is a guide wire-based procedure that accurately measures blood pressure and flow through a specific part of the coronary artery. Done during a standard angiogram, it assesses whether to perform angioplasty on "intermediate" blockages.
A very thin guide wire crosses the lesion and measures the flow and pressure. Studies show that an FFR value less than 0.75 or 0.80 likely requires interventional treatment, while blockages above this threshold can be safely treated by medication.
IVUS allows us to see a coronary artery from the inside-out in real-time. This cross-section view aids in stent sizing, and confirms that the stent has been placed optimally, fully expanded, and hugging the vessel wall to reduce complications.
It is done in the catheterization laboratory in conjunction with angiography. Used either occasionally in difficult cases or routinely to confirm accurate stent placement and deployment.
Blood flow to the heart is blocked, often by a blood clot or plaque buildup. The heart muscle begins to die without oxygen.
Symptoms may start slowly and persist for hours or days. The heart continues to beat, but sufferers may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or pain spreading to the back, jaw, or arms.
The heart completely stops beating due to a disruption of its electrical rhythm and needs to be restarted immediately.
It stops blood and oxygen from reaching the brain and organs. Symptoms happen in seconds: dizziness, loss of consciousness, and unresponsiveness. It can lead to death within minutes if untreated.
High blood pressure is when the force of blood pushing against vessel walls is too high. The heart has to pump harder, and arteries are under greater strain. Over time, it can damage the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.
Often no specific cause is found (essential hypertension). When found, causes include:
Kidney or lung disease
Heart problems or obesity
Certain medications
A condition caused by a very low level of blood sugar (glucose), often related to diabetes treatment. Like a fever, it's an indicator of a health problem rather than a disease itself.
Immediate treatment is necessary when blood sugar drops to 70 mg/dL or below, requiring high-sugar foods, drinks, or medications to quickly restore normal levels.
An EP study is a test looking at your heart's electrical activity in detail to diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms. It takes 2–3 hours in a cath lab.
Thin flexible catheters are inserted into a vein (usually in the groin) under local anesthetic.
Catheters pass to the heart to monitor or induce an arrhythmia.
You may feel palpitations or chest discomfort during the test.
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