Angiogram

Check for blocked arteries with angiography at Tyler Heart Institute, part of Montage Health. This type of test uses imaging technology to look for clots or plaque (fat), which can slow blood flow and cause pain and other symptoms. Based on your test results, you and your doctor can make informed choices about your health, including potentially getting treatment to help prevent a heart attack.

Types of angiography

Your doctor will order the right angiogram for your needs and situation:

• Computed tomography (CT) angiography for the heart
• Coronary (heart) angiography
• Peripheral (leg) angiography

CT angiogram

This exam uses noninvasive CT imaging to help a cardiologist (heart doctor) diagnose coronary artery disease. This condition happens when plaque builds up in arteries and slows blood flow to the heart.

Before the test, you may receive an intravenous (IV) line in your hand or arm. Contrast dye flows through the IV to help your blood vessels show up better on the CT images.

During the test, you’ll lie on a table that slides into the CT scanner, a machine that takes clear, detailed, 3D pictures. Both a cardiologist and radiologist (imaging specialist) will review your results, so you get the most complete, accurate recommendations.

Coronary angiography

If you have frequent chest pain, your doctor may recommend coronary angiography, also called cardiac catheterization.

Before the procedure, you’ll receive a sedative (medicine to relax you). You’ll lie on a table as a cardiologist slides a thin, flexible tube called a catheter into an artery, usually near your groin. The doctor moves the tube up to your heart. Then, you’ll receive an injection of contrast dye that shows up on a special X-ray machine to show how well blood flows through your arteries.

Peripheral angiography

Your doctor may order peripheral angiography to check for blocked leg arteries if you have symptoms of peripheral vascular disease (PVD).

The exam works a lot like cardiac angiography. But instead of moving a catheter up to your heart, your doctor uses it to examine blood vessels in your leg.

Treating blocked arteries

If angiogram results show your arteries are partly blocked, your best treatment may be one of these options:

• Medications and lifestyle changes to reduce plaque in blood vessels and improve blood flow
• Angioplasty to widen blocked arteries, sometimes at the same time as your coronary or peripheral angiogram
• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, an open-heart operation to replace clogged arteries with healthy ones

No matter what your doctor recommends, trust us for excellent care that helps you achieve better cardiovascular health.