Coronary Angiogram & Stenting

Coronary Angiogram

• Coronary angiogram is one of the gold standard tests used to detect the extent and severity of any heart disease/ blockages to help plan treatment.
• This is usually recommended if you have had a heart attack or your non-invasive test such as treadmill or CTCA had any positive indicator of narrowing or blockages.
• During the angiogram a small, thin, flexible tube is put through your wrist or groin into the heart. The area is numbed but you will be awake throughout the procedure. Dye or contrast is injected through these tubes into the heart to check for narrowing or blockages.

Angioplasty and Stents

• This can be done at the same time as the angiogram or can be booked at a later date.
• During the angioplasty, a special balloon is used to open the blockages and a stent is placed to keep the blood vessel open (a stent is a small metal mesh tube which acts as a support to keep the blood vessel open).
• The stents are usually coated with medication which is slowly released into the blood vessel which helps to lower the chances of the blood vessel blocking again.