Tip of hollow coronary catheter

The Arterial "Highway" The circulatory system is an intricate network of arteries and veins which connects the heart to every area of the body. Utilizing long, flexible, hollow tubes, called catheters, physicians have been able to transform this system into a "highway", and can use it to deliver specialized tools and medicines to diagnose and treat heart disease non-surgically.

The entrance to the arterial "highway" is through a needle puncture, usually made in the groin (femoral) artery, although the arm (brachial) or wrist (radial) can also be utilized.

During these procedures, the patient is given light sedation for comfort, but remains awake in order to respond to various instructions ("take a deep breath", "hold your breath", "cough", etc.) from the interventional cardiologist who is part operator, part diagnostician, part photographer.

The first step is a diagnostic picture of the arteries, called a coronary arteriogram, angiogram or catheterization. The needle puncture is made, using a local anesthetic. The physician then threads a catheter through the entry site and follows the main artery in the body, called the aorta, up and around into the opening of the left, or right, coronary artery. Through this hollow catheter, the physician injects a small amount of special dye, called contrast, which, when viewed in motion under X-rays, reveals any obstructions or plaques located within the coronary vessels. When the dye is injected, the patient may feel a warm sensation. Views from several camera angles are are recorded on motion picture film. ( See a video clip about the "accidental" discovery of coronary arteriography. )

actual fluoroscopic image of blocked artery artist's rendering of same blocked artery

Next Section: "From Diagnosis to Intervention"

Angioplasty.Org Home •  PatientCenter

send comments & suggestions to "info at angioplasty dot org"
Read our Privacy statement.

Angioplasty.Org is an editorially independent informational health site
which has received unrestricted educational grants from
Medtronic plc, TCROSS NEWS, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Volcano Corporation, Terumo Medical Corporation
Cardium Therapeutics, Inc. and Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute of NY

For more information, see About Us
All content, including text, photos and video
©Copyright Venture Digital LLC 1996-2021