These are often followed by a stent procedure. An open-heart procedure is a coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Before performing any of these procedures, a doctor must find the blocked part of the coronary arteries. This requires coronary arteriography , which is done during a procedure called cardiac catheterization . Then the doctor injects a liquid dye visible in X-rays through the catheter.
Doctors can identify blockages in the arteries by tracing the liquid's flow.
Some newer diagnostic tools are available to evaluate how well the heart works. These tests may be done before or after a heart attack. Some of these tests are still somewhat experimental and are limited to larger medical centers. Calcium antagonists are extremely effective in preventing coronary spasms of variant or Prinzmetal's angina. These drugs, along with nitrates, are the mainstays of treatment.