FAQs

A:The physician planning your procedure will complete a history and physical. For most procedures, you will need only blood laboratory studies to evaluate your kidney functions and blood clotting functions. You do not need to fast for these studies.

A:You will not be able to drive home after the procedure.

A:For the majority of the procedures, you should plan to stay for about six to eight hours. The test takes about one to two hours depending on what your vascular surgeon finds and what treatment is necessary.

A:The majority of the procedures are done under conscious sedation. The surgeon will also use local anesthesia where the needle will be inserted. You will be relaxed and comfortable and if you feel any pain, you need to tell your surgeon.

A:An arteriogram or angiogram is a special x-ray to examine the arteries or blood vessels within your body. It is used to look for blood vessels that have become clogged or blocked. A specially trained physician called an interventional radiologist, cardiologist or vascular surgeon does the arteriogram. After injecting an x-ray dye through a needle or small catheter, a series of x-rays of the area are taken. The dye allows the physician to see a "road map" of your arteries.

A:Your physician will request that you have an anteriogram done if you have signs and symptoms of blocked arteries that may require a procedure to improve the circulation, to evaluate an aneurysm (a weakened area of an artery) or to assess a narrowed area in a bypass graft detected by ultrasound. You may be experiencing these symptoms: pain in your legs while walking, changes in your vision, a wound that does not heal, faint or absent pulses in your feet and weakness in your arms or legs. This test will help the physician see exactly where the artery may be blocked, how severe the blockage is and what is causing the blockage in order to plan the best form of treatment for you.

A:Atherosclerosis is a chronic disorder of the blood vessels within the body that brings oxygen enriched blood from the heart to its organs and tissues. In atherosclerosis, the artery walls become thicker, harder and lose their ability to stretch. This "hardening of the arteries" occurs when a buildup of cells, fats and cholesterol deposits called plaque, cause the artery walls to harden and thicken. This plaque narrows the artery walls and can partially or totally block the normal flow of blood so that the heart must work faster and harder to pump the blood through the arteries. Atherosclerosis can occur in any artery of the body, but it causes the most damage by decreasing the blood flow to the heart, brain, kidneys and lower legs. When this happens, tissue damage can occur that can result in a heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure or limb loss.

A:You may have electrodes placed on your chest to monitor your heart rate and you will a blood pressure cuff on your arm to monitor your blood pressure. An IV will be placed in your vein and you will receive medicine to help you relax. The doctor will inject a numbing medication at the insertion site and a catheter will be inserted into the artery in your groin or arm area through which the dye will be injected.

A:Angioplasty is also known as stenting. If the physician doing the procedure finds a blockage that can be treated with a balloon or stent, you may stay overnight for observation. In angioplasty, as the balloon expands it enlarges the inside of the artery wall. After the balloon is deflated, an x-ray picture is taken to see if the artery stays open. Sometimes the blockage needs the help of a wire mesh tube called a stent to keep the artery open. The stent is passed through a catheter over the balloon, and when the balloon is inflated the stent holds the artery open and is left in the artery wall permanently. The deflated balloon is then removed.

A:Sometimes a blood clot is blocking the blood flow to an extremity. Medication is sometimes given directly through the catheter used for the arteriogram in an attempt to dissolve or break up the clot. This clot busting medication often allows the physician a better look at the "road map" of flow to extremities.

A:Peripheral angiography, angioplasty and thrombolysis are relatively safe. Make sure you discuss your concern with your physician. However, you may get some bruising around the puncture site that should disappear in a few days. An allergic reaction to the dye is possible. Make sure you tell your physician, during or after the procedure if you are having trouble breathing or develop an itch, rash or hives.

A:During the first 72 hours following your procedures, avoid strenuous activity, like lifting and moving heavy objects, vigorous exercise and sexual activity. The puncture site may be tender for 24-48 hours. You might miss a few days of work after the procedure. Make sure this is discussed with your physician.