19 Angiography Doctors in Bangalore

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Angiography?

Angiography is also called an angiogram or arteriogram. Angiography is a medical procedure that is used to check the presence of blockage in blood vessels or narrowed blood vessels in the body. It is recommended in several conditions such as cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and heart disease etc. Here, a catheter is inserted into the blood vessels and a contrast dye is injected into the veins. Later several X-ray images will be taken and based on the images, your doctor will diagnose the disease and a treatment plan will be made.

There are several types of Angiography and they are

1. Coronary Angiography
2. Pulmonary Angiography
3. Renal Angiography
4. Radionuclide Angiography
5. Digital Subtraction Angiography
6. Magnetic Resonance Angiography
7. Cerebral Angiography
8. Right or left heart ventriculography
9. Aortic Angiography
10. Eye Angiography

What are the advantages of Angiography?

1. It provides accurate images of the internal blood vessels and arteries.
2. It helps in diagnosing specific diseases.
3. It helps in determining the right treatment for a particular disease or condition.
4. It identifies any blockages in the blood vessels.

What are the indications of Angiography?

Angiography is indicated in the following conditions

1. Trauma
2. Central vascular disease
3. Maintenance angioplasty
4. Elective embolization
5. Cerebrovascular disease
6. Mesenteric angina
7. Renovascular disease
8. Peripheral vascular disease
9. Transarterial cancer therapy
10. Coil Embolization

What is the preparation for Angiography?

1. Some type of angiograms require fasting and some don't. So, your doctor will tell you whether to fast or not.
2. You may be asked about your present and past medical and medications history.
3. Inform your doctor if you are using any blood thinners or pain killers.
4. You may be advised to stop eating or drinking before 6 hours of the procedure.
5. Inform your doctor if you are allergic to anesthesia or to any known contrast dye.
6. You may be advised to drink only clear liquids for the breakfast on the day of the procedure.
7. Discuss all the risks, complications, and benefits associated with the Angiography with your doctor.
8. You will be asked to sign the consent form before undergoing this procedure.

What are the steps involved in Angiography?

Steps involved in Angiography differ from one type to another type. However, the general steps involved in angiogram are

1. You will be asked to change clothes to the hospital gown.
2. You may be either sedated or not with anesthesia.
3. After sedation, a catheter or a small tube is inserted into the large artery.
4. Now, the catheter is slowly directed throughout the artery until the tip reaches the vessel that needed to be examined.
5. Then, a contrast dye is injected into the blood vessel through the catheter. This dye will help the blood vessels to view on the X-ray images.
6. X-rays of the blood vessels will be taken.
7. Later the catheter will be removed from the large artery.
8. Your doctor will review the X-ray images to determine the problem.

What is the postprocedure care/recovery care for Angiography?

1. After the completion of the procedure, you may need to stay in the hospital until you are awake from the sedation.
2. Then, your doctor will provide some instructions regarding postprocedure care.
3. If there is a pain at the site of catheter insertion, then consult your doctor.
4. Use the pain killers as directed by your doctor if the pain is severe.
5. If bleeding is seen at the cut, consult your doctor as soon as possible.
6. There may be some complications and risks after the procedure. So, follow all the instructions and directions provided by your doctor.

Who can perform Angiography [Right specialist type for Angiography]?

Angiography can be performed by an:

1. Experienced Cardiologist
2. A Vascular surgeon who has experience in performing a successful angiography
3. Any surgeon who performed several successful Angiographies

What is the cost of Angiography?

Cost of Angiography depends on factors such as

1. Admission fee
2. Doctor fee
3. The medical condition of the patient
4. Area of the blood vessels to be evaluated
5. Post-surgical complications that are involved
6. Type of hospital
7. The admission room that you opted for
8. Age of the patient
9. The severity of the blockage of blood vessels

The minimum cost in Bangalore starts at Rs.8,000

An average cost in Bangalore is approximately Rs.25,000

The maximum cost in Bangalore is up to Rs.1,30,000

Is Angiography a major procedure or minor procedure?

Angiography is either major or minor procedure depending on the patient's medical condition.

What is the eligibility criteria for Angiography?

People who can undergo Angiography are

1. Individuals who are suffering from heart diseases.
2. People with severe atherosclerosis.
3. Individuals suffering from arthritis.
4. Patients who are suffering from severe chest pain.
5. Individuals who are willing to check their heart condition after a heart attack.

What is the ineligibility criteria for Angiography?

Individuals who are not eligible to undergo Angiography are:

1. Individuals with a known cause for heart disease and chest pain.
2. Individuals suffering from severe kidney disease.
3. Individuals who underwent recent heart surgery.

What are the risks and complications associated with Angiography?

Few risks and complications associated with the Angiography are :

1. Injury to the artery where the catheter is inserted
2. Infection
3. Bleeding
4. Kidney damage
5. Irregular heartbeats
6. Allergic reaction to the contrast dye
7. Heart attack or stroke

How long does it take to complete Angiography?

Angiography takes almost 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete the procedure. But sometimes it may take more than 2-3 hours depending on the condition of the patient.

What is the recovery time?

Patients who undergo Angiography may be discharged from the hospital on the same day of the procedure. Mostly, the recovery time from Angiography varies about 3-6 hours after the removal of the catheter from the blood vessels.

What is the success rate of Angiography?

The success rate of Angiography depends on:

1. Age of the patient
2. The medical condition of an individual
3. Experience of the doctor in performing Angiography

However, the success rate of Angiography maybe 97%.

Is Angiography painful?

Angiography involves the insertion of a catheter in the blood vessels and this may cause mild to moderate pain. In some cases, general anesthesia is given to sedate the individual and the individual does not feel any pain during the insertion and removal of the catheter from the blood vessels.

Is Angiography Permanent?

Angiography is not a permanent procedure as the catheter tube is withdrawn from the body after evaluating the blood vessels. 

What are the long-term results of Angiography?

There are no specific long-term results of Angiography. However, people who undergo Angiography may suffer from minor complications.

Can Angiography be detected in the future?

Angiography uses a contrast dye to check any blockages in the blood vessels. This dye normally stays only for about 30 minutes to 2 hours in the body and hence Angiography cannot be detected in the future.

What are the options if Angiography fails or not successful?

Angiography is a safe procedure to evaluate the function of the heart and any blockages in the blood vessels. Mostly, this procedure is successful and in very few cases, it may be a failure due to rupture of the blood vessels. If it fails, then the doctor uses alternative techniques for Angiography.

What are the alternatives for Angiography?

The alternatives of Angiograms/Angiographies are

1. CT-scan
2. X-ray
3. MRI-scan
4. Doppler ultrasound