What is Angiography?

Angiography is a procedure used to give a picture of blood vessels and organs.

When the test is on the arteries of the heart a catheter is inserted into the groin or occasionally the arm to carry the dye.

Before a catheter can be inserted into an artery, the surrounding area has to be numbed with a local anaesthetic. A short thin wire with a rounded tip is then carefully inserted into the artery using a needle. It is guided with the help of fluoroscopy (X-Ray images) to the spot where the dye is needed. This procedure is performed under the supervision of a cardiologist.

The needle is then removed and a vascular sheath inserted around the wire. A catheter may then be inserted along the guide wire. When the catheter is in the correct position the wire is pulled out and dye inserted through the catheter. The dye enhances the blood vessel which can then be checked on screen or on a series of rapidly recorded X-Rays.