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Coronary angiography - Risks

Alternative Names

Cardiac angiography; Angiography - heart; Angiogram - coronary

What the risks are:

Cardiac catheterization carries a slightly increased risk when compared with other heart tests. However, the test is very safe when performed by an experienced team.

Generally the risk of serious complications ranges from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 500. Risks of the procedure include the following:

Cardiac arrhythmias
Cardiac tamponade
Trauma to the artery causing a hematoma
Low blood pressure
Allergic reaction to contrast medium
Hemorrhage
Stroke
Heart attack

Considerations associated with any type of catheterization include the following:

In general, there is a risk of bleeding, infection, and pain at the IV site.
There is always a very small risk that the soft plastic catheters could actually damage the blood vessels.
Blood clots could form on the catheters and later block blood vessels elsewhere in the body.
The contrast material could damage the kidneys (particularly in patients with diabetes).

Special considerations:

If a blockage is found, your health care provider may perform a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to open the blockage. This can be done during the same procedure.

Cardiac catheterization

Coronary angiography

Reviewed last on: 9/3/2008
Larry A. Weinrauch MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Cardiovascular Disease and Clinical Outcomes Research, Watertown, MA.. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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