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Dr Adam Hartley
Imperial College Healthcare Private Care - Cardiology
What is a coronary angiogram and when is it recommended?
Dr Adam Hartley, Consultant cardiologist, explains what a coronary angiogram is in this video, covering how the test examines heart arteries, when it is recommended and what it can show about blood flow. This offers practical, patient-friendly guidance for those considering private care.
Transcript
A coronary angiogram is a diagnostic test that involves the passage of a small thin tube from either your wrist or your groin through to your heart arteries to evaluate the flow in your heart arteries from inside.
This is a commonly performed procedure and is considered the gold standard test to look at blood flow within the coronary arteries.
We often do this to evaluate symptoms such as chest pain or breathlessness, which we might think is something called angina, through to if you're having a suspected or confirmed heart attack, through to if you've got a suggestion of a narrowing or a blockage on earlier non-invasive tests, through to assessing your heart arteries prior to other operations or interventions.
Your cardiologist may request a coronary angiogram for you if you have symptoms that are strongly suggestive of a narrowing or a blockage in one or many of your heart arteries.
This may be the first test you have or may be after you've had earlier tests that are suggested.
The really nice thing about a coronary angiogram is that not only can it provide diagnosis and to understand if there is a significant narrowing or blockage that requires treatment, but also often receive treatment at the same time.