| Now it's time to talk about the actual procedure your doctor has recommended for you.
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On the day of your operation, |
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you will be asked to put on a surgical gown. |
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You may receive a sedative by mouth |
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and an intravenous line may be put in. |
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You will then be transferred to the operating table. |
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To begin, your leg and groin are swabbed with an antiseptic solution. |
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Then the doctor will make a small cut over the femoral artery in the upper part of the leg. |
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A special needle is then inserted into the artery itself. |
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Then a guide wire is carefully passed through the needle and gently pushed into the artery and upwards towards your chest. |
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Once the wire's in place at the aorta, a narrow tube, called a catheter, is threaded along the wire until it too has reached the aorta. |
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The guide wire will then be withdrawn, leaving the catheter in place. |
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Next, the doctor injects a dye - specially designed to show up under x-rays. The dye will outline the blood vessels that feed that heart and will allow your doctor to pinpoint areas where blood flow has been reduced. |
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After a thorough investigation, the catheter is withdrawn... |
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and slight pressure is applied to the incision in your leg in order to prevent bleeding. The dye that was injected will break up and leave your body as waste. |
