What You Should Know About Angiography

9. Are There Risks?

Complications arise in rare cases. There is always a slight chance that you will react to the contrast medium, which generally causes only mild itching or a rash, but could be more serious. X-rays do expose you to radiation, but an angiogram does not deliver a substantial amount. Bleeding and bruising is the most common, though still rare, complication. Bleeding occurs in less than five percent of cases and presents as a raised bruise that will disappear in a couple of weeks. Only one percent of those undergoing the procedure requires overnight observation. In less than one percent of cases, the procedure damages a blood vessel, but this is usually corrected at the time by the radiologist.

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