coronary angiography
Last reviewed 01/2018
The technique involves the passage of a catheter, usually from the femoral artery or the brachial artery to the heart.
This technique may be used to:
- measure pressures within the heart and great vessels
- to perform coronary angiography - contrast can be introduced into the coronary arteries - this is a technique used to define the anatomy - and thus patency - of the coronary arteries
- assess oxygen saturation via blood samples
- perform other procedures - angioplasty, valvuloplasty, cardiac biopy
- perform intravascular ultrasound