In Coronary angiography, a contrast material (dye) that can be seen using x-ray equipment is injected into the blood vessels of the heart to identify blockages and till now remains the Gold Standard Test. This allows your health care provider to view the flow of blood through your heart.
After administering a mild sedative, an area of your body (the arm or groin) is cleaned and numbed with a local anesthetic. The cardiologist passes a thin hollow tube, called a catheter, through an artery and carefully moves it up into the heart. X-ray images help the doctor position the catheter.
Once the catheter is in place, dye (contrast material) is injected into the catheter. X-ray images are taken to see how the dye moves through the artery. The dye helps highlight any blockages in blood flow.
The procedure may last 5 to 10 minutes. You should not eat or drink anything for 8 hours before the test starts. Tell your doctor if you are allergic to seafood, if you have had a bad reaction to contrast material in the past, if you are taking Viagra, or if you might be pregnant.