Coronary Angiography Ankara
Coronary artery diseases are one of the main causes of heart attack and sudden death today. As a result of the occlusion and narrowing of the vessels feeding the heart, the heart muscle fed by those vessels is adversely affected; when treatment is delayed, irreversible health problems can occur and serious problems such as loss of vitality and death of the heart muscle can develop. Early diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery diseases have an important place in the prevention of these health problems. Coronary artery diseases are the diseases that can progress internally until the last stage. Coronary angiography, which has been performed for many years, is one of the first methods applied for a definitive diagnosis in case of suspicion of coronary artery disease in examinations related to heart health. By means of the angiography, which provides a clear visualization of the vessels feeding the heart, vascular occlusion or narrowing of the vessels can be diagnosed. Planning for treatment can be started without wasting time. You can visit clinic of Prof. Basri Amasyalı in Ankara for your questions about coronary angiography and what you want to consult.
What is Coronary Angiography?
To explain in a simple way; coronary angiography is the imaging of the heart vessels. In a way, it is the x-ray of the vessels feeding the heart and the heart structure. It is a procedure performed for diagnostic purposes, not for therapeutic purposes. In other words, your vein is not opened with coronary angiography; only your vascular structure is displayed and it is evaluated whether it is diseased or not. Some patients say, “I was given an angio and my veins were opened”. Actually this is a very wrong statement. Here I have to say with regret that unfortunately some of our colleagues also use expressions such as “we have opened all their veins” to the patients after they have had angio. This is an extremely wrong expression. As a result, some examinations are performed on patients who apply to the doctor for heart control; these are EKG, Stress EKG and Echocardiography. When suspicions such as occlusion or narrowing of the coronary artery vessels arise as a result of these examinations, coronary angiography must be performed and the problems in the coronary artery system must be clearly revealed.
To Whom Coronary Angiography is Performed?
Coronary angiography is a procedure that can be performed on patients of all ages. The complaints such as
- Chest pain
- Pain in the arm, back and jaw
- Shortness of breath that increases with exertion
- Fatigue quickly
- Heart palpitations indicate that there can be some problems in the coronary arteries. Coronary angiography can be required if, as a result of some examinations performed in such cases, the person suspects coronary artery disease.
Preoperative coronary angiography is also performed in patients who will undergo open heart surgery due to heart valve or other reasons. In these, no complaints are sought; coronary angiography is performed for control purposes.
Which Examinations Are Performed Before Coronary Angiography?
The patients who come with the above-mentioned complaints are first examined. The presence of concomitant non-cardiac diseases, if any, is determined. Especially the presence of hypertension and diabetes (DM), presence of heart disease in the family and smoking are questioned. Subsequently, examinations are made. The patient’s EKG is checked. After the blood examination is taken from each patient, echocardiography is taken to evaluate the function of the heart and its contractile function. This is a examination like a heart ultrasound. If appropriate, the patient is followed by a Stress ECG. If these examinations are not normal and there is strong suspicion, coronary angiography is performed on the patient. In some special cases, heart scintigraphy, which is a more sensitive examination, is performed instead of coronary angiography. If there is a problem in the scintigraphy, coronary angiography is performed.
In some special cases, if the patient’s complaint has made us seriously suspicious, coronary angiography can be performed directly without these examinations.
How Coronary Angiography Is Performed?
The purpose of coronary angiography is to reach the heart by going in the opposite direction through the arteries in different parts of our body, such as the arms and legs, and to ensure that the vessels that we call the “coronary arteries” that feed the heart are displayed in detail. During the imaging of the veins, the dye we call “opaque substance” is injected into the vein. In the meantime, a record is kept with the angio device.
At the beginning of the procedure, first of all, the skin is cleaned in the vascular area that we want to use and that area is sterilized with antiseptics. Subsequently, local anesthesia is applied. If we are going to use the vein in the groin, this procedure is usually applied to the right groin. If we are going to use the wrist vein, both wrists are used. However, if the patient has previously undergone bypass, the left wrist must be used. Since there are no pain nerves in our veins, the catheters sent to the heart through the vein do not cause any pain. The procedure is completed in an average of 10 minutes and the patient is taken to the room if no additional procedures such as stent or balloon will be performed.
It is a procedure that usually does not require hospitalization. But in rare cases, hospitalization can be required.
When I Am Discharged After Coronary Angio?
Normally, if only coronary angiography is performed, the patient is discharged on the same day. If the coronary angio is made from the inguinal region, after an average of 6-8 hours; if it is made from the wrist, the patient is sent home after 2 hours.
However, if severe narrowing or occlusion is detected in the vessels after coronary angiography, balloon and stent procedures are usually performed in the same session. In such cases, the patient spends the night in the hospital and can be discharged after 1 day at the earliest.
What are the Differences of Angiography from Arm?
Angiography is a procedure usually performed in the groin. However, in recent years, wrist angiography has become increasingly common. This is because; is that the wrist is more comfortable for the patient than the groin area. Under normal conditions, after angiography in the inguinal region, a sand bag weighing 2 kg is placed in the inguinal region of the patients for 6 hours.
However, recently, various apparatus and devices have been produced that shorten this time and increase comfort. In such cases, the time can be shortened to 1-2 hours. Another reason why the wrist is preferred is that the risk of bleeding in the wrist is almost negligible compared to the inguinal region. After the wrist angiography, the healing process is shorter and the bleeding is reduced, and both the patient and the physician complete this process more comfortably. Despite the advantages it provides, the doctor evaluating the patient’s history can also decide to perform an operation in the groin. Because the vascular structure of every patient cannot be suitable for arm angio. Especially in patients over 70 years of age, angiography of the arm can be a problem. At this point, evaluation and guidance of a specialist cardiologist is important.
When was Coronary Angiography First Performed in Turkey?
Coronary angiography was first performed in Turkey by a military physician, Prof. Oral Pektaş, in 1975 at the GATA Military Medical Academy using the inguinal artery.
What are the Risks of Coronary Angiography?
Coronary angiography is generally a risk-free procedure. However, although quite rare, there are of course some risks. The most common complication after the procedure is bleeding. Tearing in the vessels, balloon formation, heart attack, stroke and death are very rare risks. The rate of these risks is also related to the experience of the center. The rate of these risks in experienced centers varies between 1/1.000 and 1/10.000.
Ankara Coronary Angiography
Today, coronary angiography, which has a very important place in the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, is a procedure performed by specialist physicians in many provinces for many years. Before deciding on the procedure, the doctor should evaluate all the examinations and listen carefully to the patient’s history. When performed by a specialist cardiologist, the risk of angina is negligible. If you want to get more detailed information about Ankara coronary angiography and its prices, you can contact our clinic.
