All About Angiograms and PAD
Angiograms and how they can help a person with vascular disease…
If you have the peripheral arterial disease of PAD your vascular doctor may recommend a peripheral angiogram as a form of treatment. The term peripheral means a location near the core. The core of the body includes the heart and the lungs.
With PAD, an artery that brings blood away from the heart going towards the leg may be blocked or you may be at risk for having this artery becoming blocked. This can lead to pain. The angiogram will allow the vascular surgeon to see the progression of the disease and develop a specific treatment plan.
The peripheral angiogram can help our doctor get a better look at the legs and feet as well as the hands and arms. The treatment plan will be based on the information that was gathered from the angiogram. Several other factors will be used to develop the treatment plan. They include your age, your lifestyle, and related items. This process can be used for both therapeutic and diagnostic reasons.
More About the Peripheral Angiogram
This is an outpatient procedure that can be done at a vascular clinic. Typically patients are put into twilight sedation to help you relax. You can breathe without assistance and you can answer questions the doctor may ask. Most people do not remember this procedure.
A catheter will be put into the peripheral artery. This is usually the femoral artery which is located near the groin area. A small amount of dye will be injected into the body. As the dye makes its way through the artery, x-rays will be taken to look at the blood flow and look for signs of blockage. This process is called angiography.
Looking for Blocked Arteries
If there is a block the vein doctor will place a balloon inside the catheter to open the artery. This is known as peripheral angioplasty. To keep the artery open a doctor may also place a stent inside. This tube will allow the blood to flow through the artery. Both processes will take just under two hours to complete.
Since this is done in an outpatient setting you will recover for a few hours then will be allowed to go home.
Make sure you are speaking to a board certified vascular surgeon regarding your issues.
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