How is angiography done?

Angiography is a diagnostic imaging procedure used to visualize the inside of blood vessels and organs, such as the heart, lungs and kidneys. It involves inserting a thin tube called a catheter into an artery or vein in the arm or leg. A liquid contrast material (contrast medium) is then injected into the bloodstream through the catheter to produce detailed X-ray images of these structures.

This procedure allows doctors to view any blockages, narrowing or weakness in your arteries or veins that could be causing symptoms or complications from various diseases such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and other structural abnormalities in blood vessels throughout your body. Angiography can also be used to detect aneurysms and measure overall blood flow within vessels when assessing for risk factors for stroke, heart attack, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair needs, etc.

The actual angiogram procedure is relatively fast; however it does take some time for your doctor to review images after they have been taken so they can complete their assessment of possible underlying conditions you may be facing with accuracy. As with any medical procedure there are some risks associated with angiography including potential allergic reactions to contrast dye being used during imaging as well as bleeding at the injection site due to puncture by needles during insertion of catheters/etc., although these risks are rare compared with its comparative technique - CT scans and MRIs — which do not require injections but rather radiation exposure and magnetic fields respectively which themselves come with their own set of potential adverse side effects.