Angiography is a medical imaging technique for viewing blood vessels. It can be used to check for blockages, restrictions, or other abnormalities.
A catheter is used to gain access to the blood vessels, generally through the femoral artery, though the jugular vein may also be used. This long flexible catheter is guided through the blood vessels, and uses an x-ray contrast agent to allow fluoroscopy to be used to view the arteries or veins on the viewing monitor.
Angiography may be used to view the vessels of the legs and arms (peripheral angiography), or it may be used to view the vessels in the heart (coronary angiography) or the lungs (pulmonary angiography).
The word "angiography" comes from the Greek words angeion, "vessel", and graphein, "to write or record".
Angiography is a catheter-based procedure that our doctors perform in our freestanding facility. The procedure takes about an hour and no overnight stay is required.