Angiography describes a diagnostic procedure that allows doctors to visualize the inside of blood vessels. Angiography can determine the blood flow in and around organs such as the lungs, brain and kidneys, but doctors commonly perform coronary angiography to examine blood flow through the heart and the heart's pumping ability. Although coronary angiography can eliminate the need for major heart surgery, as noted by the American College of Radiology, the risks lead some patients to search for alternative procedures.
Risks of Traditional Angiography
To perform a traditional coronary angiography, doctors insert a long, thin, flexible tube known as a catheter through a small incision into an artery, usually in the arm or leg. The doctor then threads the catheter through the blood vessels until they find the coronary artery. They then inject a contrast medium, or dye, into the arteries to allow visualization through X-rays.
Risks of traditional angiography include bleeding and infection at the site of the incision. Because a catheter enters the blood vessels, the risk of introducing infection into the bloodstream also increases. As the catheter travels through the blood vessels, it can puncture the vessel, causing internal bleeding. The catheter can also promote the formation of a blood clot that can result in a heart attack or stroke.
Magnetic Resonance Angiography
Magnetic resonance angiography uses magnetic resonance imaging--MRI--technology to visualize inside blood vessels. Unlike traditional angiography, doctors consider magnetic resonance angiography a noninvasive procedure.
Patients only need to lie on a table and slide into the tunnel-like machine for approximately one hour, according to MedLine Plus and the National Institutes of Health. The MRI machine uses magnets and radio waves to produce images of the inside of the body. To visualize blood vessels better, a contrast medium may be injected through a needle. This type of angiography is considered safe with few associated risks.
Multidetector Computed Tomography Angiography
Another non-invasive alternative to traditional angiography is the multi-detector computed tomography angiography, also called the multislice CT. This procedure uses high-energy radiation, similar to an X-ray, and 16 to 256 rows of detectors to visualize the images, according to the American Heart Association Statement.
Like traditional angiography, multislice CT requires the use of a contrast medium to help make the blood vessels visible. Although the multislice CT utilizes higher doses of radiation than the X-rays of a traditional angiography, it presents fewer health risks to the patient. Multi-detector computed tomography provides the advantage of higher spatial resolution of the images with shorter and less invasive examinations.
