We offer "Female Only" appointments for all our tests, including echocardiograms.
Please ask for our "Female Only" option if you prefer an all female team (cardiac technician, sonographer and/or cardiologist) for your test.
Invasive coronary angiography is an operative procedure undertaken to accurately assess heart artery patency and determine the potential requirement for tablet therapy, coronary stent implantation or coronary bypass graft surgery.
Invasive coronary angiography is performed in a hospital setting with Victoria Heart currently offering procedural services at either Cabrini Malvern or Epworth Richmond.
It is typically performed under a light anaesthetic for patient comfort. Local anaesthetic is administered at the site of access, most commonly the wrist or if required the groin. A small tube is placed in the artery and this is used to pass specialised diagnostic catheters into the arterial system. These are then manoeuvred up to the heart and dye injected to enable direct visualisation of the heart arteries, looking for any narrowings or blockages that are potentially associated with a heart attack.
As part of the angiographic procedure further specialised investigations may be performed if required. These are typically to determine the severity of any blockages in the heart arteries and assist with good clinical decision making.
At the end of the diagnostic procedure, the catheters and arterial tube are removed and the results discussed with the patient and their referring physician if required. After a period of observation typically in the order of 3 to 4 hours patients are able to be discharged home.
Patients are advised that there is no driving for 48 hours following angiography and they are not to drive themselves home following their procedure.