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What Are the Risks of Coronary Angiography?
Coronary angiography is a common medical test. It rarely causes serious problems. However, complications can include:
- Bleeding, infection, and pain at the catheter insertion site.
- Damage to blood vessels. Rarely, the catheter may scrape or poke a hole in a blood vessel as it's threaded to the heart.
- An allergic reaction to the dye that’s used during the test.
Other, less common complications include:
- Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats). These irregular heartbeats often go away on their own. However, your doctor may recommend treatment if they persist.
- Kidney damage caused by the dye that’s used during the test.
- Blood clots that can trigger a stroke, heart attack, or other serious problems.
- Low blood pressure.
- A buildup of blood or fluid in the sac that surrounds the heart. This fluid can prevent the heart from beating properly.
As with any procedure involving the heart, complications can sometimes be fatal. However, this is rare with coronary angiography.
The risk of complications is higher in people who are older and in those who have certain diseases or conditions (such as chronic kidney disease and diabetes).
Clinical trials are research studies that explore whether a medical strategy, treatment, or device is safe and effective for humans. To find clinical trials that are currently underway for Coronary Angiography, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.
The NHLBI updates Health Topics articles on a biennial cycle based on a thorough review of research findings and new literature. The articles also are updated as needed if important new research is published. The date on each Health Topics article reflects when the content was originally posted or last revised.
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