All patients are required to sign a consent form prior to the exam. Times vary due to the procedure and the patient's anatomy. Once the procedure is finished, and the catheter is pulled, the doctor must hold pressure on the entry site for approximately 20 minutes. Patients must then have a 10-15 minute observation period in the Angiography suite. If an outpatient, the patient may then be discharged under the supervision of an adult companion.
Limited activity is necessary with respect to the puncture site for the remainder of the day.
All angiography patients must have a clear liquid diet at least eight hours prior to their exam. This implies nothing to eat after midnight the night before your exam. The MRI takes a picture of your body by using magnetic fields. This test is able to give very useful, clear pictures in a painless way. There is no radioation exposure in this test.