Coronary angiography and coronary angioplasty are often discussed in the same conversation, but they are not the same procedure. Angiography is primarily used to look at the coronary arteries. Angioplasty—also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—is a treatment that may be used to open a selected narrowed or blocked coronary artery.
What happens during coronary angiography?
During cardiac catheterisation, a thin catheter is guided through a blood vessel toward the heart. Contrast dye and X-ray imaging allow the coronary arteries to be visualised. The purpose is to understand whether a narrowing or blockage is present and how important it may be in the overall clinical picture.
Angiography can help a cardiology team decide whether the next step is medical treatment, PCI, surgical evaluation or further testing. The angiogram is important, but treatment decisions also depend on symptoms, heart function, other illnesses and the anatomy of the disease.
What is angioplasty or PCI?
PCI is a catheter-based treatment. A balloon may be used to expand a narrowed segment, and a coronary stent is commonly placed to help keep the treated segment open. Not every narrowing needs a stent, and not every patient with coronary disease is best treated by PCI.
Why might additional tools be used?
In selected cases, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT), or physiologic assessment may provide more information about a lesion and help with procedure planning. Their use depends on the clinical situation, anatomy, equipment and operator judgment.
Questions to ask before a planned procedure
- What question is the angiography intended to answer?
- If a significant narrowing is found, what treatment options may be considered?
- Would PCI be performed immediately or discussed first?
- What medicines will I need before and after the procedure?
- What are the important risks and alternatives in my particular case?
For an individual recommendation, your cardiologist needs to review your symptoms, examination, investigations and medical history. Website information cannot determine whether you personally need angiography or angioplasty.
- American Heart Association — Cardiac Catheterization
- American Heart Association — Heart Procedures and Surgeries
These links are provided as general educational references. The article is an editorial website draft and should be clinically reviewed before public launch.