- Angiography and angioplasty are both used in cases involving heart disease.heart pulse image by jim from Fotolia.com
Angiography and angioplasty are both medical procedures that assist doctors in treating heart conditions. Doctors perform the two procedures differently. Angiography and angioplasty also differ in terms of what medical purpose each fulfills, the situations in which each would be appropriate, and the risks of which patients should be aware. - Doctors can use angiography to diagnose heart conditions.heart beat medical image by Nicemonkey from Fotolia.com
Angiography is a diagnostic procedure that doctors perform by inserting a catheter into a blood vessel, injecting a contrast fluid to highlight the blood vessels, and making images of the highlighted vessels using x-rays. The catheter is just a small, plastic tube.
Angioplasty is a treatment procedure in which doctors insert a balloon into a blood vessel, again using a catheter. When inflated, the balloon presses fatty plaques clogging the vessel against the vessel's walls. The procedure clears blocked blood vessels, helping doctors treat diseases involving reduced blood flow to the heart, such as arteriosclerosis.
During angioplasty, doctors may insert a small tube called a stent. This helps to keep the blood vessel clear and open and can sometimes release medication into the patient's bloodstream. Following angioplasty, doctors will be more likely to keep patients overnight at the hospital than they would following angiography. - Angiography is a diagnostic procedure while angioplasty is a treatment procedure.medical objects image by JASON WINTER from Fotolia.com
Doctors use angiography to diagnose conditions involving the blood vessels. Coronary angiography images the blood vessels of the heart and is commonly used to diagnose diseases such as arteriosclerosis, or clogging of the blood vessels in the heart. Angiography is also used to diagnose other vascular conditions and can image the blood vessels in the legs, kidneys, lungs and neck as well as other parts of the body.
Doctors use angioplasty to treat diseases such as the aforementioned arteriosclerosis by widening clogged blood vessels. - Doctors can use angioplasty to alleviate chest pain.ecg image by JASON WINTER from Fotolia.com
Situations calling for angioplasty include cases involving patients suffering from chest pain and cases where patients are at risk of heart attack due to blood vessel blockages. Doctors use angiography before deciding on a course of treatment to determine the severity of the condition of the blood vessels. Images from simultaneous angiography during angioplasty treatments help doctors to visualize the blood vessels while clearing them. - Angioplasty patients can risk allergic reactions.almonds image by Nicola Gavin from Fotolia.com
Risks of angiography include allergic responses to contrast fluid, low blood pressure, hemorrhaging and cardiac arrhythmia, or erratic heartbeat. Risks inherent in angioplasty include those of angiography as well as damaged blood vessels, stroke, and kidney failure. If doctors insert a stent during the angioplasty, risks expand to include allergic responses to the stent as well as to any drugs administered through the stent. - A potential result of angiography is a diagnosis.medical equipment image by Chad McDermott from Fotolia.com
Results of angioplasty include cleared blood vessel blockages. If stroke-like symptoms affect you prior to the treatment, it can reduce those symptoms or the risk of those symptoms. Angiography results in a better idea of the condition of the imaged blood vessels and can help doctors to make a diagnosis.
