Overview
Coronary angiography is a specialized treatment that captures X-ray images of your heart. This procedure checks for irregularities in the heart muscle and valves. Additionally, it examines if the coronary arteries are constricted or clogged.
The test is carried out in a cardiac catheterisation laboratory. So, does that mean coronary angiography can also open heart blockages? Let’s find out. Read on to learn more about the procedure and the anticipated coronary angiography cost in India.
What is Angiography for Heart? 1
Coronary angiography is a medical technique that involves the examination of the coronary arteries, which provide blood to the heart muscle. It is generally used to identify and assess problems affecting the heart’s blood vessels, like coronary artery disease.
The procedure involves carefully guiding a small, flexible tube known as a catheter to the heart by inserting it into a blood vessel, typically in the wrist or groin.
The coronary arteries can then be seen on X-rays (angiograms) after a contrast dye is given through the catheter.
Can Angiography Open Heart Blockage?
Coronary Angiography can reveal a blockage in a patient’s artery but can’t open heart blockages. It is a diagnostic procedure and not a treatment.
But yes, only after coronary angiography, doctors can clearly understand the percentage, location and number of blockages. Based on this report, the further line of treatment is decided, i.e., medication, angioplasty or bypass surgery.
Who Needs Angiography? 2
If the patient experiences coronary heart disease (CHD) symptoms, such as chest pain, they are advised for coronary angiography. Fatty deposits accumulating in the coronary arteries are the root cause of CHD.
As a result, less blood flows to the heart, which can cause various issues, such as angina or, in more extreme circumstances, a heart attack. The other indications where the doctor might advise getting a coronary angiogram are:
- Chest pain (angina or unstable angina) is a sign of coronary artery disease.
- Injury to the chest
- A heart valve issue
- If no other tests can explain the patient’s chest, jaw, neck, or arm pain
- Abnormal findings from a non-invasive heart stress test
How Is Coronary Angiography Performed? 3
The healthcare professional will most likely advise the patient to fast for eight hours before the process. Coronary angiography typically takes about twenty minutes, though this time may increase, mainly if further cardiac catheterisation procedures are involved. The procedure for doing a coronary angiography is described below.
- The patient is placed on their back on an X-ray table.
- The patient’s heart will be monitored throughout the surgery via electrodes on the chest. A pulse oximeter and blood pressure cuff monitor the patient’s blood pressure and oxygen saturation.
- A tiny incision is made, and a sheath, a little plastic tube, is put into the artery.
- The catheter is then used to inject a dye (contrast material).
- On X-ray scans, the dye is visible. The doctor can watch the blood flow via the patient’s blood arteries to spot any obstructions or tight spots.
- The patient may undergo other catheter treatments concurrently, such as angioplasty or stent implantation to widen a narrowed artery, relying on what the doctor learns during the angiogram.
Complications of Angiography 4
Most coronary angiography patients do not experience difficulties. Some of the minor and significant risks involved are
- Infection where the incision was created, which causes the region to become red, hot, swollen, and painful
- An itchy rash or other minor reaction to the contrast agent
- Kidney injury from the contrast agent
- Internal bleeding brought on by damaged blood vessels
- A severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to the contrast agent results in lightheadedness, trouble breathing, or unconsciousness.
Coronary Angiography Cost 5
An average Coronary Angiography cost is roughly ₹ 24,000. This treatment costs around ₹ 15,000 and can go up to ₹ 35,000. The factors that define the overall procedure cost are:
- Patient’s medical condition
- Consultation and admission fees
- Procedure technique, whether conventional or CT coronary angiography
- Treatment plan following angiography, whether medication, angioplasty or bypass surgery.
Takeaway
Angiograms are performed to assess the health of the blood arteries and the direction of blood flow through them. Coronary angiography cannot treat obstructions in the heart. Treatment techniques, including angioplasty, stenting, or coronary artery bypass grafting, can be considered to remove the blockages.
Visit HexaHealth to learn more about coronary angiography, its procedure, treatment, and other related topics. With the largest nationwide network of hospitals, HexaHealth is a health tech platform that aims to make healthcare more transparent and accessible. So, make an appointment today!
References:
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22164-coronary-angiogram
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/angiography/
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003876.htm
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4777042/
- https://www.hexahealth.com/treatment/coronary-angiography-cost
