The doctor will ask for your medical history before asking for an angiogram. The doctor needs to be updated about your allergies, your blood pressure; your pulse and your other vitals will also be checked before the procedure for angiogram. Before you enter the process of the angiogram, you are to change into the hospital robes and leave behind any kind of jewellery, pins and contact lenses. During an angiogram a catheter is entered into your body through the groin or your arm. The dye passes through the catheter into the blood vessels of your heart. This helps the X-Ray to get images of the arteries of your heart. Any kind of blockage will be noticed immediately.
What Happens After an Angiogram?
You will be taken to a recovery area for observation and monitoring. When your condition is stable, you return to your own room, where you are monitored regularly. Next you will be taken for observation and monitoring purposes to the recovery area. After your condition gets stabilised, you will be able to return to your own room or bed and the normal monitoring procedure will follow.
After the procedure of angiogram is over and there is no chance of any bleeding occurring, you will be able to go back to your home on the same day. Sometimes you might be asked to stay the night at the hospital and recharge yourself with fluids. These fluids will help to wash the dye out of your body used during the angiogram. If you feel okay you might also try eating something solid.
Before you leave the hospital consult your doctor or physician and get confirmation for when you can get back on your daily medications. You must also know when you can take a bath and shower and from when you can start your daily normal activities. It is highly suggested that for several days after going through coronary angiogram you must engage yourself in strenuous work and activities like lifting heavy loads.
What Happens to the Incision Site After the Angiogram is Done?
After the procedure of coronary angiogram is over including taking the readings and pictures, the catheter is removed from your groin or your hand. After removing the catheter, the incision caused due to entering the catheter is closed by plug or clamping it applying manual pressure. In order to avoid bleeding from the groin in case the catheter was inserted through the groin, it is better you will lie on your back for several hours after an angiogram. While you are lying on your back, an authorised and trained person will be applying pressure on the incision in order to stop the bleeding and initiate the healing process after clamping it. The site that was punctured for entering the catheter will remain tender for a few days and you may also develop a little bump at the spot. It will heal in some time.
When Should You Call For Medical Attention?
If there is any swelling or new bruises develop at the incision site along with bleeding. If the swell appears suddenly or the bleeding fails to stop after applying enough pressure even when the procedure of angiogram is completed 24 hours earlier, get immediate medical help.
- If you develop sudden pain at the catheter or incision site
- Symptoms like fever, drainage, redness or infection at the catheter spot.
- If you develop a colour change or a temperature change in the leg that was included or used for the process of angiogram.
- The site at the leg through which the catheter was inserted if turns numb or if the whole leg or arm turns weak.
- Development of sudden chest pain and breathlessness.
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