Peripheral Angiogram services offered in Fayetteville, Lumberton, Erwin and Saint Pauls, NC
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects blood flow through the peripheral arteries in your arms and legs, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke. Hari Saini, MD, and the team at Carolina Heart and Leg Center perform peripheral angiogram tests to assess blood flow through these arteries and determine your best treatment options. To find out more about peripheral angiograms, call the office in Fayetteville, Lumberton, Erwin, or Saint Pauls, North Carolina, or schedule a consultation online today.
What is peripheral arterial disease (PAD)?
PAD is a narrowing or blockage in the peripheral arteries from a buildup of plaque along the blood vessel wall. PAD affects circulation in the extremities, especially the legs. It also increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
What is a peripheral angiogram?
A peripheral angiogram is a diagnostic test that looks for narrowing or blockages in the peripheral arteries. During the test, your provider at Carolina Heart and Leg Center injects a dye into an artery and then uses X-ray imaging to find areas where there’s a blockage in the flow of blood.
Why would I need a peripheral angiogram?
Your provider at Carolina Heart and Leg Center explains why you need a peripheral angiogram at your consultation. In most cases, the team performs the test to assess the severity of the narrowing or blockages in your peripheral arteries to determine if you need surgery.
Balloon angioplasty is the procedure for PAD that opens up the blocked or narrowed peripheral arteries.
How do I prepare for a peripheral angiogram?
The Carolina Heart and Leg Center team provides specific instructions on what you need to do to prepare for your peripheral angiogram. They may request you stop eating and drinking up to eight hours before your test. They may also ask you to modify your medication schedule.
The team requests you come to the office in comfortable clothing and leave valuables at home. You also need to arrange to have someone drive you home after your test.
What happens during a peripheral angiogram?
While you relax on the exam table, your provider at Carolina Heart and Leg Center inserts an intravenous (IV) line in your arm to administer fluids and medication that helps you relax. Your provider cleans and numbs the area undergoing the evaluation, usually an artery in the leg.
Then, they insert a catheter into the artery, inject the dye, and take X-rays. You then go to the recovery area before the team sends you home.
The Carolina Heart and Leg Center team requests you take it easy for a couple of days following a peripheral angiogram. They schedule a follow-up appointment to review the results with you.
To find out more about peripheral angiograms at Carolina Heart and Leg Center, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.
