Angiography involves viewing the body’s blood vessels. It can have a diagnostic or therapeutic aim.

Angiography is a medical imaging technique intended to visualize and therefore study blood vessels and their dividing branches – which are not visible on standard x-rays.

More precisely, we speak of “arteriography” to designate the exploration of the arteries and we speak of “phlebography” to designate that of the veins.

All the arteries of the body can be explored: those of the heart (we talk about coronary angiography), the lungs, the brain, the spinal cord (we talk about spinal cord angiography), the viscera, but also the upper and lower limbs. .

Angiography can have different aims:

• a diagnostic indication;
• or else a therapeutic indication.

Targeted exams diagnostic aim to detect the presence of an anomaly, to identify vascular pathologies:

• narrowings in the arteries (strictures);
• a clots, blocking the normal flow of blood;
• an aneurysm, ie dilation of the arteries in a well-defined area);
• or a deep vein thrombosis (phlebitis).

Diagnostic angiography thus helps to suggest treatment. This can be endovascular, medicinal or even surgical. It is also a serious ally before surgery, so that the doctor can precisely locate the path of the blood vessels.

During targeted examinations therapeutic or interventional, the doctor uses specific instruments that he introduces into the blood system through a puncture point. This changes depending on the intervention. The goal is to minimize or even eliminate a known pathology. Let us quote:

• dissolve a blood clot with the help of medicine;
• open a partially blocked artery with a balloon;
• or even place a “stent” in an artery to widen it.

Note that there are several methods:

• conventional angiography, which is an X-ray examination consisting of taking pictures of the blood vessels;
• magnetic resonance imaging angiography – or MRI angiography;
• or even digital angiography, which requires computer processing of the images taken by the radiologist.

The patient lies on an x-ray table, while the doctor disinfects the puncture site (the elbow crease, groin crease, upper thigh, etc.) – and shaves it as needed.

Before inserting a thin plastic tube – a catheter – into the artery, the doctor performs local anesthesia. The catheter is directed by the radiologist into arteries requiring exploration.

An iodinated contrast product is injected to give a coloration and thus visualize the arteries and their ramifications. The images are taken with X-rays.

The doctor can carry out specific treatments if that is the purpose of the procedure.

The catheter is finally removed at the end of the procedure and the doctor compresses the puncture site to stop the bleeding.

Before an angiogram, you should not eat or drink for 6 to 8 hours.

It is important to communicate to the medical team any treatments taken, and for example to bring the prescriptions or the medical file.