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Your doctor has asked that you have an angiogram performed in the
Medical Imaging (X-ray) Department. This is a procedure that is
commonly performed to investigate problems with blood vessels called
arteries.
The angiogram requires the injection of x-ray contrast ("dye")
through a catheter (a long, thin, plastic tube) into the blood vessels.
Most often the angiography catheter is inserted into the blood
vessel at the top of the leg after the injection of local anesthetic
("freezing"). The procedure is done using sterile preparation
of the biopsy site.
As an outpatient you are admitted and discharged from the hospital
on the same day through the Medical Imaging Department. You are
discharged from the hospital approximately four to six hours after
your angiogram has been completed. You must stay in Saskatoon the
evening following your procedure, within a 15- minute drive of a
hospital Emergency Department. Saskatoon City Hospital Emergency
Department closes at 8:30 p.m. The Emergency Departments at St.
Paul’s and Royal University Hospitals are open 24 hours.
If all is well you may return home the next day. You must be aware
of the risks of an angiogram, and be willing to accept these risks,
prior to your admission to hospital.
The Risks of Angiography Include:
- Bleeding at the site of catheter insertion after the test is
over. Delayed bleeding is very uncommon but it is the major reason
you are observed for four to six hours after your angiogram is
completed.
- "Allergy" to x-ray contrast ("dye") - A
serious life-threatening "allergic" type reaction occurs
in approximately 1/50,000 to 1/150,000 people. This is very rare.
You should discuss any allergy history with your doctor prior
to booking an angiogram.
- Cold, numb, or painful foot - Very rarely the blood vessel
the catheter was inserted into becomes blocked and prevents blood
from going to your lower leg and foot. This requires an emergency
operation to reopen the blocked blood vessel.
You must be willing to accept these risks of angiography in order
to investigate your symptoms and plan appropriate treatment.
Please inform your physician of any allergies you may have. In
particular, if you have had allergic reactions to x-ray contrast
("dye") in the past.
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