What is the Difference Between Angiogram and Angioplasty?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚An angiogram and an angioplasty are two different medical procedures related to blood vessels, and they serve distinct purposes. Here are the main differences between the two:
Angiogram:
- It is a diagnostic procedure that uses dye and X-rays to examine blood vessels for potential blockages or narrowing.
- The main purpose is to provide a detailed picture of the arteries.
- It is often used to assess issues such as stroke, heart attack, failed stress tests, blood clots, or blockages.
Angioplasty:
- It is a treatment procedure that involves widening or unblocking an artery using a small balloon and sometimes a stent.
- The main purpose is to treat the narrowed arteries and improve blood circulation.
- It is often performed to treat regular chest pain, shortness of breath, blockages in main arteries, or blockages in branching blood vessels.
Both procedures usually involve the insertion of a catheter into an artery in the arm, groin, or foot, and the use of X-rays to guide the catheter to the targeted area. However, during angioplasty, the doctor inflates a small balloon inside the artery to widen it, and a stent is often placed within the artery to hold the artery walls apart and improve blood flow. While angiography is a diagnostic procedure, angioplasty is a treatment procedure that addresses the issue detected during angiography.
Comparative Table: Angiogram vs Angioplasty
Here is a table summarizing the differences between an angiogram and an angioplasty:
Procedure | Purpose | Technique | Duration | Risks | Recovery |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angiogram | Diagnostic | Injects a contrast dye into arteries to create images of blood vessels | About 30 minutes | Bruising, soreness, rare complications like severe allergy to dye, dizziness, shortness of breath, stroke | Generally recover within a week |
Angioplasty | Treatment | Inserts a balloon-tipped catheter into a narrowed artery to widen it | Varies depending on the complexity of the procedure | Bleeding, blood clot near or inside the stent, restenosis | Recovery period varies, but patients can usually return to normal activities after a few days |
Angiogram:
- Primarily a diagnostic tool to visualize blockages and plan treatment.
- Involves injecting a contrast dye into arteries to create images of blood vessels.
- Generally a safe and painless procedure, taking about 30 minutes.
- Some risks include bruising, soreness, rare complications like severe allergy to dye, dizziness, shortness of breath, and stroke.
- Recovery is usually quick, with patients generally recovering within a week.
Angioplasty:
- A treatment procedure to widen narrowed arteries.
- Involves inserting a balloon-tipped catheter into a narrowed artery to widen it.
- Duration varies depending on the complexity of the procedure.
- Some risks include bleeding, blood clot near or inside the stent, and restenosis (re-narrowing of arteries).
- Recovery period varies, but patients can usually return to normal activities after a few days.
- Angioplasty vs Stent
- Fluoroscopy vs Angiography
- Angiogenesis vs Neovascularization
- Vasculogenesis vs Angiogenesis
- Angioma vs Hemangioma
- Stroke vs Aneurysm
- Stent Thrombosis vs Restenosis
- CABG vs PCI
- EKG vs Echocardiogram
- Aneurysm vs Blood Clot
- Angina vs Myocardial Infarction
- Ablation vs Cardioversion
- Arteriosclerosis vs Atherosclerosis
- Thrombosis vs Embolism
- Anticoagulants vs Thrombolytics
- Ischemia vs Infarction
- Thrombolysis vs Fibrinolysis
- PTCA vs PCI
- Angina vs Heart Attack