Understanding Coronary Angiography in India

Coronary angiography is a medical technique that helps to visualize the coronary arteries, around the heart to detect narrowings or blockages. During the procedure, a tube called the catheter will be placed through a blood vessel in your arm or upper leg and passed to your heart and an X-ray is taken to see if the arteries are blocked, then further a dye is injected through a tube into the coronary arteries. This procedure is performed to diagnose coronary artery disease, determine blockages or narrowing in the coronary arteries, guide treatment decisions, such as angioplasty or stenting, and monitor the effectiveness of treatment.

Coronary angiography in India is a common medical imaging technique that uses X-rays to visualize the inside of the blood vessels and organs of the body. Hence making India an experienced and skilled player in the field of treating and detecting coronary artery disease.

Types of Coronary Angiography

There exist certain subdivisions that might be categorized into the following categories as listed below: -

Traditional Coronary Angiography

Traditional Coronary Angiography also known as invasive coronary angiography, is used to diagnose coronary artery disease. This surgery is performed with an X-ray and images are taken to see how the dye moves through the blood vessels. This is an invasive procedure that may involve the following steps:

• A mesh tube known as a stent may be placed to keep the artery open
• The test may show blocked or narrowed blood vessels in the heart
• Contrast dye may Injected into your heart blood vessels through the catheter
•  If a blockage is found, a balloon may be passed through the catheter and expanded to widen the artery

This surgery is considered a gold standard for diagnosing coronary artery disease. However, it may carry a small risk of serious complications, such as chest pain, and is usually recommended to those patients who have a high risk of coronary artery disease and typical symptoms.

Computed Tomography (CT) Angiography

 The heart is a moving object, and the CT scans are more technically challenging because it's moving. This type of medical test may combine a CT angiography scan with an injection of a special dye to produce pictures of blood vessels and tissues in a part of your body and through intravenous (IV), a dye may Injected into your arm or hand. Why you might need this angiography:

•  To find abnormal blood vessel formations inside your brain
•  To identify blood vessels damaged by injury
•  To find blood vessels that become narrowed by atherosclerosis (a fatty material that makes plaques on the walls of coronary arteries).

This diagnostic imaging test is used to visualize and assess blood vessels and tissues.

Magnetic Resources (MR) Angiography

Magnetic Resources Angiography is a non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate and visualize blood vessels, diagnosing conditions are:

• Less risk of allergy
• Renal arteries
• Arteries of the neck and brain
• Less toxic contrast media
• No exposure to ionizing radiation
• Non-invasive methods

MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography) is an important tool for monitoring vascular diseases, and its images are used in treatment for monitoring effective treatment plans.

Coronary CT Angiogram (CCTA)

This medical test is an imaging test that uses a computed tomography machine to give detailed images of the heart and its blood vessels. This test is used to diagnose heart conditions and is less invasive than a standard coronary angiogram. This CT coronary angiography may show:

• Blockages in the coronary arteries
• Buildups of plaque
• The extent of stenosis in the coronary arteries
• The scanner makes images of the heart and its blood vessels.

While this is a diagnostic tool, the test may not be suitable for everyone, particularly those who are pregnant or allergic to contrast agents.

Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS)

Intravascular ultrasound is a medical imaging method used to visualize inside the heart chambers and blood vessels. Through a catheter, a small ultrasound probe is inserted into your blood vessels which produces high-frequency sound waves that bounce off the vessel walls and return to the probe as echoes. These echoes are converted into detailed images of the vessel’s inner diameter and any blockages or narrowing. This is commonly used to diagnose coronary artery disease, monitor vessel changes over time, guide stent placement, and detect blood clots. The benefit of Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) include:

• Improved patient outcomes
• Enhanced diagnostic accuracy
• Real-time imaging Guidance during procedures
• High-resolution images of the vessel's interior

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

Optical Coherence Tomography is a non-invasive imaging procedure that uses low-coherence interferometry to take high-resolution images of the internal structures of the body. Optical coherence tomography is used in cardiovascular medicine to visualize the innermost layers of the coronary arteries, allowing for:

• Measurement of artery diameter and stent deployment
• Guidance for interventional procedures
• Detection of plaque and vascular structures
• High-resolution imaging of the artery wall and lumen.

This technique is particularly useful for diagnosing coronary artery disease and evaluating stent deployment and apposition.

Symptoms for Coronary Angiography

There are some possible common signs and symptoms that may lead to coronary angiography. The patient might need to be alert at all times to notice such symptoms and further consult a specialist at the right time for the situation to be dealt which might focus on blockages or even issues in the coronary arteries of the heart. Hence, these might be a few of the symptoms that may take place.

• Chest pain
• Blood vessel problem
• Unstable angina
• Irregular results on an exercise stress test
• Heart valve disease that needs surgery

Specialist for Coronary Angiography in India

There are some of the top specialists for coronary angiography treatments in India out of which a few are:

1. Dr. Virbhan Balai – Manipal Hospital
2. Dr. Rahul Singhal – Fortis Hospital
3. Dr. Sai Sudhakar – Gleneagles Hospital
4. Dr. Harikrishnan Parthasarathy – Apollo Hospital
5. Dr. C P Roy – Max Super Speciality Hospital

Top Hospitals for Coronary Angiography in India

India offers unsurpassed patient care, experienced specialists, and cutting-edge technology which ensure quality treatment for the patients. There are some of the top hospitals for coronary angiography in India out of which a few are:

1. Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) located in Delhi
2. Narayana Hospital located in Banglore
3. BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital located in Delhi
4. Medanta The Medecity Gurgaon located in India
5. Indraprastha Apollo Hospital located in Delhi
6. Artemis Hospital located in Delhi
7. Gleneagles Global Health City located in India

Conclusion

A Coronary angiography or cardiac catheterization is an X-ray examination of the vessels and chambers of the heart often done to identify any narrowed or clogged arteries that are preventing blood from reaching the heart muscles. This study can also be used to measure the size and function of the chambers of the heart and the functioning of the heart valves. Furthermore, India has emerged as a preferred country for treating and detecting coronary artery disease with a high success rate and also the availability of experienced cardiac surgeons, offering a reliable solution for those seeking Coronary angiography.Medheal Global Care vows to offer advanced solutions for cardiovascular treatments by providing personalized care, medical visa, travel & documentation with end-to-end patient coordination.