Friday, February, 10, 2012

Coronary angiography

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Cardiac angiography; Angiography - heart; Angiogram - coronary


What the risks are

Cardiac catheterization carries a slightly increased risk when compared with other heart tests. However, the test is very safe when performed by an experienced team.

Generally the risk of serious complications ranges from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 500. Risks of the procedure include the following:

  • Cardiac tamponade
  • Irregular heart beats
  • Injury to the coronary artery
  • Low blood pressure
  • Allergic reaction to contrast dye
  • Stroke
  • Heart attack

Considerations associated with any type of catheterization include the following:

  • In general, there is a risk of bleeding, infection, and pain at the IV site.
  • There is always a very small risk that the soft plastic catheters could actually damage the blood vessels.
  • Blood clots could form on the catheters and later block blood vessels elsewhere in the body.
  • The contrast dye could damage the kidneys (particularly in patients with diabetes).

Special considerations

If a blockage is found, your health care provider may perform a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to open the blockage. This can be done during the same procedure, but may be delayed for various reasons.


Review Date: 05/23/2011
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)