Coronary Angiography
A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination - Nelson Mandela

image by: BruceBlaus
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The coronary angiography – An old-timer in great shape
The ICA remains one part of medicine in 21st century which combines the art and science. It is typically taught in an individual, peer-to-peer, fellowship manner. The element of art is involved when confident and calm doctor speaks to his patient providing reassurance and comfort often better than sedative medication.On the other side, all the accumulated scientific evidence can be used to patient benefit in providing safe procedure and establishing correct diagnosis as a foundation of effective therapy.
In my opinion, the invasive coronary angiography will remain the cornerstone of coronary artery disease evaluation for the foreseeable future. Its role in acute coronary syndromes…
Resources
The age of diagnostic coronary angiography is over
Coronary angiography stubbornly bucks the hospital-wide trend to non-invasive diagnostic tests. New imaging technologies offer paths to better ways to investigate and manage ischaemic heart disease.
New Heart Disease Test Brings Higher Costs and More Procedures
When compared to previous, exercise-based tests, this newer screening method turns out to be leading to many more surgeries—and subsequently higher medical costs—without the data to show that it's actually helping people live longer or stay healthier, according to an analysis published online Tuesday in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Oct. 30, 1958: Medical Oops Leads to First Coronary Angiogram
In the basement laboratory of an Ohio hospital, a cardiologist accidentally injects a large amount of dye into the small vessels of a patient's heart during a routine imaging test. To the doctor's great surprise — and relief — the dye doesn't send the heart into a fatal spasm, and this happy accident marks the birth of modern cardiac imaging.
Weighing the Costs of a CT Scan’s Look Inside the Heart
Dr. Karlsberg and other cardiologists who support widespread use of CT heart scans argue that they can reduce the need for other tests — like conventional angiograms, which can find plaque but require a catheter to be threaded through the arteries. Conventional angiograms are more expensive than CT scans and carry their own risks. If a CT heart scan finds plaque that a doctor intends to treat with a stent, a conventional angiogram will still be necessary to determine where and how to implant the stent. So a CT scan does not always eliminate the need for a conventional angiogram.
Cardiac CT Scan Vs Angiogram: What's The Difference?
CT angiography is a less invasive version of the traditional angiogram. The main difference between the two procedures is that while a standard angiogram involves a catheter being inserted into the artery and to the area being studied, a CT angiogram does not require the insertion of a catheter. A significant advantage of a CT angiogram over a traditional angiogram is that a CT angiogram is non-invasive. However, for cases of abnormal CT angiogram results - such as one or several blood vessels being blocked or narrowed - a standard angiogram may be required as a follow-up.
Coronary Angiography after Cardiac Arrest without ST-Segment Elevation
Among patients with ROSC following OHCA but without signs of STEMI on ECG, immediate angiography was not superior to delayed angiography in 90-day mortality.
CT angiography lowers invasive testing, costs in patients with suspected CAD
Using coronary CT angiography (CCTA) to identify which patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) really need invasive angiography can lower the overall cost of diagnostic testing without sacrificing safety, suggests a randomized trial published Dec. 12 in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
Doctors Often Order Heart Test But No Disease Is Found
The gold-standard test for heart disease is looking a little tarnished. Angiograms may be used too often. Wikimedia Commons A big study says most patients without known heart disease who undergo coronary angiography don't have clogged arteries after all. In such patients angiograms reveal coronary disease only 40 percent of the time. Worse yet, another 40 percent have essentially clear coronaries
Heart Test May Be Overused
A widely used test to detect blockages in the heart's arteries often turns up little or no evidence of disease, a new study found, suggesting that patients are frequently exposed unnecessarily to the risks and costs of the invasive examination.
Is elective coronary angiography overused in patients with suspected coronary artery disease?
The application of coronary angiography for diagnostic purposes will experience a major reduction during the next 5–10 years. For example, the diagnostic algorhythm in CAD will change from the current anatomic focus to a more functional assessment with MRI.
Mike’s angiogram: A journey inside the heart
The dye rushes along with the blood each time the heart pumps. I look closely at the image on the monitor to find any narrowing. If we find one – and the patient has agreed to it – we’ll proceed with inserting stents in a procedure called angioplasty.
The coronary angiography – An old-timer in great shape
The invasive coronary angiography is the gold standard in coronary artery disease evaluation. It is one of the most common operative procedures worldwide. This topic covered in detail would be extensive and the author provides his own, personal view of the indications, technique and complications of this diagnostic test.
Healthgrades
Coronary angiography is only one method used to diagnose a variety of heart and vascular diseases, disorders and conditions. You should discuss different screening options with your doctor or healthcare provider to best understand which option is right for you.
Mayo Clinic
Angiography is a way to examine the inside of your heart's blood vessels using special X-rays. Find out what you can expect when you have the procedure.
NIH
Coronary angiography also might be done on an emergency basis, such as during a heart attack. If angiography shows blockages in your coronary arteries, your doctor may do a procedure called angioplasty (AN-jee-oh-plas-tee). This procedure can open blocked heart arteries and prevent further heart damage.
Patient
Some people get a short angina-type pain during angiography. This soon goes. The dye may give you a hot, flushing feeling when it is injected. Many people also describe a warm feeling in the groin when the dye is injected - as if they have 'wet themselves'. These feelings last just a few seconds (and the operator will tell you when they are about to inject the dye). Rarely, some people have an allergic reaction to the dye.

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