An angiogram is one of the most delicate diagnostic procedures that are conducted in medicine. This is a heart function test though theoretically it can be conducted for nearly any part of the body. An angiogram is conducted on the heart to check for the supply of blood to the muscles of the heart. The mammalian heart is one of the most intriguing organs in the body that starts to beat during the fetal stage and never stops until death. Heart disease is usually caused due to muscular dystrophy or as a result of occlusion to the supply of blood. Fundamentally, the heart is just one big muscle with four chambers with only one function – to pump blood. Just like any other muscle in the body, it also requires nutrients, fuel, and oxygen to perform its functions. A blockage to the blood vessels that supply these to the heart will therefore cause the muscle to stop functioning causing a heart attack.
An angiogram checks these blood vessels in a rather simple procedure which involves the injection of a radio-opaque dye and then rapidly taking a series of x-rays. This will then show a time-lapse picture of the movement of the dye through the vessels of the heart. From this picture, a cardiologist can ascertain which vessel is occluded. After this test, the next thing that is usually done is a procedure to remove the blockage by ballooning or by the administration of certain drugs. One of the main reasons for blockages are clots in the vessels or the buildup of cholesterol plaques that is called atherosclerosis. Sometimes, a biopsy can also be conducted if necessary.
There are some complications to this procedure as well. The most common of these is related to the use of the radio-opaque dye. This can cause an allergic reaction in the body and sometimes also cause significant kidney damage in some patients. Another problem that can happen is the development of clots. Since the procedure involves infiltrating a major blood vessel, clotting can occur. On the other hand, the use of anti-coagulants to avoid the problem further causes problems of the wound not healing after the procedure. This can be solved by simply sedating the patient and ensuring that the patient does not move after the procedure. The punctured blood vessel also has to be kept under pressure, immediately after the procedure is over, to ensure that clotting does occur.