Dr. Michael N. Tanious, MD

During an angiogram, the doctor inserts a very thin, flexible tube called a catheter into a blood vessel through an opening in the groin or arm. The catheter is threaded through the body to the site of the suspected problem, where a small amount of dye is injected into the bloodstream and x-rays are taken. The dye makes the surrounding blood vessels visible via x-ray.

If necessary, certain procedures can be performed after an angiogram while the catheter is in place. Angioplasty is the use of a catheter to widen narrowed or blocked arteries. Stents are like tiny coiled springs that hold blood vessels open, and they can be placed during a catheterization. Damaged heart valves can also be repaired or replaced.

A typical angiogram takes about an hour to perform, but it may be longer if the catheterization is used to perform procedures on the blood vessels. It may be uncomfortable at times but is usually not painful. Afterwards, patients may be monitored for up to six hours to make sure any bleeding from the insertion site has stopped. They are given fluids to help flush the dye from their body. For a day or two after an angiogram it is important for patients to drink plenty of fluids and keep strenuous activity to a minimum.

Although biopsy is most often associated with cancer, it can also be used to check for other diseases, such as infections. A biopsy sample can be scraped, cut, collected with a needle, taken with a machine that punches out a tiny piece, or removed with the tiny tools in an endoscope.

In most cases, a biopsy is a simple outpatient procedure. Depending on the procedure, patients may need to stop taking certain medications beforehand, such as blood thinners. It is important for patients to tell doctors if they are pregnant, as certain biopsies require the use of x-rays to guide the needle to the right location. There is usually very little pain associated with a biopsy. Patients will have to wait a few days to hear the results.