Today's Patient Story:
Danger Of Angiogram? Risks Of Angiography?
Blog Topics: Coronary Angiography; Danger Of Angiogram; Pain; Heart Valve Surgery Diagnosis; Catheters; Pictures
Yesterday, I received an interesting email from a patient that has been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis. Her cardiologist told her that an angiogram will be needed prior to surgery. Her questions to me were about the danger of angiogram.
More specifically her questions were, “Does an angiogram hurt? Is angiography painful? Is there any danger of angiogram testing?”
Unfortunately, I have no personal experience that enables me to respond to the questions about the pain of an angiogram. Although I did have a double heart valve replacement (aortic and pulmonary valves), I did not have an angiogram prior to surgery. Because, I was relatively young and in good, physical condition, my surgeon (Dr. Vaughn Starnes), did not feel it was necessary.
That said, most patients will have an angiogram during the diagnosis period and/or the day before surgery.
“Angiogram?” you may be wondering, “What the heck is an angiogram? What are the risks or danger of angiogram?”
I know. I know. There are lots of questions about the process leading up to heart valve surgery. That’s one of the reasons I wrote my book, The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery - to help patients and caregivers better understand each step of the cardiac surgery experience.
Anyways, back to the topic of angiograms and the potential danger of angiography.
Coronary angiography is the process of creating an angiogram of your heart using dye, a thin, flexible, hollow tube called a catheter and a rapid succession of x-rays resulting in a motion picture.
According to the Mayo Clinic, patients are awake during the procedure so that you can follow instructions. Throughout the procedure you may be asked to take deep breaths, hold your breath, cough or place your arms in various positions. Your table may be tilted at times.
Most cardiologists consider cardiac catheterization safe and low-risk. Depending on your personal pain threshold, getting an angiogram is relatively painless because local anesthesia is used. The whole process can usually take between 30 - 45 minutes.
A coronary angiogram is different than an ordinary, non-invasive x-ray because the dye is injected into the heart arteries with the catheter. This enables the x-ray to contrast the arteries with the surrounding body tissue.
The cardiologist can then see which arteries are narrowed or blocked, even the very smallest ones, and recommend the best method to solve problem via balloon angioplasty, a coronary artery bypass graft (bypass surgery), stent placement, or treatment with drugs prior to / during heart valve surgery. Ultimately, the angiogram will also help determine how well the heart is functioning by looking carefully at it’s main chamber, the left ventricle.
Danger Of Angiogram & Risks Of Angiography
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are some risks associated with angiograms. “As with most procedures done on your heart and blood vessels, coronary angiography does pose some risk. Major complications are rare, though. Among the potential risks and complications are:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Trauma to the catheterized artery
- Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- Allergic reactions to the dye or medication
- Perforation of your heart or artery
- Kidney damage
- Excessive bleeding
- Infection
- Blood clots
- Radiation exposure from the X-rays
Considering the above, you truly want to make sure that you find a trusted and reputable cardiologist to perform the angiogram. Recently, I read a horrible book called Coronary. The book details a massive lawsuit brought against several cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and Tenet Healthcare because several physicans (e.g. Dr. Moon in Redding, California) were performing fraudulent angiograms and bypass surgeries on patients.
If you would like to learn more about angiogram procedure from the patient perspective, please click on this link - Ken’s Cardiac Catheterization.
I hope that explains angiograms and the potential risk / danger of angiogram examinations.
Keep on tickin!
About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
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September 5th, 2007 at 11:56 am
I have recently had a cardiac angiogram (the second I’ve ever had). It is not painful at all. When they inject the contrast material that makes it possible for them to view your blood vessels on the screen, you feel a warm sensation that is kind of neat—different than other warm sensations you may feel. Your groin may be a bit tender for a day or two, but that is the closest to pain you should experience.
November 21st, 2008 at 4:24 am
hi i received an angeogram on the 15 of november by the 19 it was swollen, red, and very painful so i went to the e.r and they just prescribed stronger pain medication and called it a day. after the 19 it continued to spread redness all around the area and at the puncture site there is a huge knot. please help me find out whats wrong i dont have insurance to get second opinions so i have to deal with the one they gave me but i dont want it to lead to “death”. please contact me soon
December 15th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I know personally four people who had catastrophic strokes due to angiograms. If the risk of serious side-effects from this procedure is so low (one web site says .03% - .3%) what is the statistical liklihood that one non-medical person (I) could personally know four people whose lives were ruined by this procedure? I believe the risk to be much higher. Besides, out of one million procedures, a risk level of .3% is 3,000 people. That’s about as many as were killed in the World Trade Center towers. No thanks.
December 29th, 2008 at 12:39 am
Very nice article, however you did not mention a very serious risk of angiogram procedure is sudden cardiac arrest. Last year 12-21-07 my father received medicare and was able to escape his HMO. He chose a cardiologist and being a medically uninformed man minimized his past medical history. His preexisting heart conditions included the fact that January 2007 he was diagnosed with appendicitis at his HMO. The pain from the inflammation caused a small heart attack, that he was unaware. The surgeon on call examined his horrible cardiac history and refused to do the very simple surgery. The surgeon stated that his heart would not withstand the surgery. He was treated with IV antibiotics for about 6 weeks and it resolved {though checking internet I read this treatment for appendicitis worked only 20 percent of the time, and that within a year it would return.} It was then that the hospital told him 75 percent of his heart was dead {due to heart attacks and radiation for lung cancer that he also had}, I don’t think he told the cardiologist this and he went ahead with the most invasive test of dads heart. Dad was resuscitated easily {being in the cardiac dept of the hospital} however he passed away 18 days later. I don’t blame the cardiologist or dad. One was trying to help another was trying to live life. Dad complained that morning of heart pain and required 4 nitro tablets to take a shower, as I said he was in pretty sorry shape. But as I think if maybe he was a little more informed and therefore the Dr. would be they could have stabilized him a little more before the angiogram. Though again, perhaps it was coincidence considering how poor he was feeling prior. I don’t know, but my dad did suffer cardiac arrest during an angiogram and perhaps you may want to list that potentiality. Thank you and wish you continued good health.
February 8th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Last May my father went in to have angiogram again. He had already had a by-pass surgery that failed, and stents put in. During this procedure the balloon that was used tore the main artery and killed my father. He leaves behind wife of 53 years and nine living children. We miss him daily.
May 2nd, 2009 at 1:42 am
So as a person that has experienced an angiogram at the age 23, maybe I can shed some light on what you were mentioning previously. Yes, there is so pain but as you were saying you are contrasedated. I was not. I also had numerous arterial clots in both legs, right arm and my heart. What is more uncomfortable is the dye, it does have a burning sensation and does make you feel as if you are urinating yourself. (Which is embarrassing)
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:36 am
my comment is really a question. my father is 88 we’ve been told the risk of a angiogram is 1-2%. my question is was the study on young people or is there a study of risk factors on the elderly. is it true the vessels in a elderly man are thin and is there a chance of them being punctured.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:31 am
I had Mitral valve replacement but prio to surgery I had an angiogram.
I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest and to couner
act the pain they gave me Nitro under my tongue which gave me the
worst migraine headache I’ve ever had in my life that I just wanted to
die. They kept alternating between the contrast dye 7 the nitro . I
literally scared my cardiologist to death which he told me later. I have
had that experience. I did have a succesful Mitral valve surgery by
them using a bovine valve…..
Sincerely, Bebe rockwell
July 4th, 2009 at 10:03 am
My mother had the test done june 23rd 2009 in the morning. My mom died that evening. The surgeon explained that my mom was not a good candidate for the test. I called my girlfriend and told her about my lost. she explained that her mother in law was going for the same test on the 24th of June. Her mother in law died on that morning. two death less than 24 hours. Whose to blame!