09.24.24
Why an Angiogram in Rogers, AR is the Right Screening for Your Vascular Condition
Modern medical technology is improving every day. Nowadays, medical providers can offer convenient, pain-free solutions to conditions that were once untreatable.
If you think you may be struggling from a vascular condition, then our team at Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center can provide you with the resources you need.
But since many vascular conditions are not visible from the surface of the skin, how can we identify your concerns? We have a selection of effective vascular imaging options available for patients like you, including an angiogram in Rogers, AR.
Read our newest blog to learn about our vein screening methods and how we can use your results to find the perfect treatment for you.
A Clinic Unlike Any Other
When you reach out to a specialist to treat your vascular condition, make sure you’re meeting with a provider who understands your needs.
While primary care clinics are an excellent option for general medical care, if you suspect you may have a vascular condition, you should come to a clinic like ours. It’s likely that if you visit a primary care clinic to ask about vascular treatment, they’ll simply refer you to a specialist like us.
Your time is valuable, so why take any unnecessary steps? You deserve top-notch treatment from specialists who care, and you’ll find those specialists at Ozark.
Custom Care Plans
At Ozark, our providers understand what you need. We’ve worked with countless patients over the years, and we’ve seen vascular conditions of all kinds. We started working in this industry because we know how valuable the right specialist can be.
When you meet with a member of our team, we’ll develop your care plan from scratch. We don’t want to make any assumptions about the strategies and treatments that will work best for you—instead, we’ll listen to your goals and examine your condition for ourselves. We’ll also complete a vein screening, which may take the form of an angiogram in Rogers, AR.
Once we have a better understanding of what you need, we can develop a strategy with your needs in mind. But first, we need to identify your condition.
The Relationship Between Veins and Arteries
One thing that many people don’t realize about venous and arterial conditions is that they can occur at the same time. In fact, in about 25% of cases, conditions in your veins and arteries will coexist, and one condition may even complicate the other.
When you come into our office for a screening, it’s important to consider how two seemingly independent disorders can affect each other. Our specialists don’t look at any of your symptoms in a vacuum.
We believe in examining the patient as a whole so we build a more comprehensive care plan.
Imaging Options at Ozark
We have a variety of imaging options at Ozark. There are many different kinds of vascular conditions, and when we diagnose your condition, we want to make sure that we’re considering every one.
Our imaging options include:
Ankle-Brachial Index
An Ankle-Brachial Index (or ABI Test) is a noninvasive imaging option that measures the circulation in arteries in specific places across the body. Once we determine the circulation in specific arteries, we can determine which of our treatment options will be most effective.
Carotid Duplex
The Carotid Duplex test is an ultrasound scan of the carotid artery in the neck. Through this test, we can determine if there are any blockages in the carotid artery and develop a treatment strategy in response.
Duplex Ultrasound
We also offer the duplex ultrasound, which can provide imaging results for the vascular system as a whole. We can detect blockages in the legs, arms, and carotid arteries. Additionally, we can examine several veins that a vascular disease might obstruct.
These imaging techniques can be very effective at finding blockages in important arteries and veins, but there is one other choice we offer at Ozark.
The Angiogram
If you’re worried about a potential vascular condition, there are few imaging options as effective as an angiogram in Rogers, AR. An angiogram is an imaging procedure that uses X-ray technology to examine blood vessels.
During this treatment, a specialist will inject dye into potentially problematic blood vessels. Without this dye, blood vessels will appear faint or unclear on an x-ray.
While providers traditionally perform angiograms to identify areas of poor circulation, a specialist may also complete an angiogram before a procedure. This is a simple, versatile method that allows a specialist to get a better idea of what is happening in your vascular system.
The Benefits of an Angiogram
When a blood vessel becomes blocked or grows narrow, then you may be at risk for a number of different conditions. If certain vascular conditions go unaddressed, then they can result in serious, potentially life-threatening side effects.
A provider may want to perform an angiogram to test for any number of vascular conditions. These conditions include:
- Coronary heart disease
- Blood clots
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Atherosclerosis
If a provider is planning an angioplasty or a stenting procedure, they may perform an angiogram to gain a more complete picture of your vascular system. When your provider better understands your condition, they can provide better results.
Preparing for an Angiogram
An angiogram is not a particularly intense procedure, so you will not need to take many preparations before your appointment. However, we do have a few recommendations for any patients who require an angiogram in Rogers, AR.
Always be sure to make your provider aware of any medications you’re currently prescribed, as these may influence your procedure. If you’re a smoker, refrain from smoking for the 24 hours before your angiogram.
You should also not eat any food for 2 hours before the procedure. And while staying hydrated should always be a priority, we’d ask that you not drink any fluids in the 2 hours immediately prior to the angiogram procedure.
The Angiogram Procedure
Come in 15 minutes before your procedure so you have ample time to check in and ask any questions you may have about the process.
On average, the procedure should take around 30 minutes, but it can take as long as two hours. To begin, a provider will feed a small catheter into an artery. This catheter is thin and flexible, so it can easily pass through your arteries to the area of the blockage.
Next, the provider will inject the treatment dye in through the catheter. Then, we will perform the X-rays. After we have the images we need, we will remove the catheter, and the treatment will be complete.
Will the angiogram hurt?
We want to make sure each of our patients is comfortable during the treatment process at Ozark.
An angiogram in Rogers, AR, requires both an incision and a catheter insertion, so we will administer a local anesthetic before the procedure begins. This local anesthetic will help numb the treatment area, so you won’t feel any pain during the angiogram.
No one should have to feel intense pain to receive the vascular treatment they need. If there’s anything our providers can do to make the procedure easier, then be sure to let us know. The opinions and preferences of our patients are very important to the Ozark team.
Angiogram Allergies
Everyone may respond to a treatment like the angiogram differently. While many patients don’t notice any adverse side effects following this procedure, some may react poorly to the dye.
A small subsect of the population is allergic to the dye used during an angiogram, but not to worry—an allergy won’t prevent anyone from getting the treatment they need.
If we find that you are allergic to the contrast dye, then we may prescribe steroids and antihistamines. If you take these prior to your treatment, then you will greatly minimize the risk of a reaction during your angiogram in Rogers, AR.
Learn more about our treatment options!
An angiogram could be the perfect solution to identifying your vascular condition. But if you want to learn more about our imaging options or our vascular treatment strategies, then you should read our blog.
Our blog is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to become more familiar with the Ozark method. We want to make the most of our online presence and educate our patients about vascular treatment.
The average person doesn’t know much about their own veins and arteries, and we hope to change that. When you come into your appointment with a better understanding of our methods and strategies, you’ll feel more comfortable during your treatment.
Schedule Your Consultation at Ozark
Do you think you may have a problematic vascular condition? Don’t wait for your disorder to take care of itself, because it probably won’t.
Seek treatment before your vascular condition becomes a serious issue. And whether treating your disorder requires an angiogram in Rogers, AR, or something else entirely, the first step is a consultation.
An Ozark consultation allows our providers to sit down with you and discuss a care plan in more detail. We’ll go over your medical history, your treatment goals, and your current condition. When you meet with our team, you can be sure that you’re getting the personalized care you deserve.