Angiogram - Medical Negligence Lawyers

According to the World Health Organisation the highest incidence of medical negligence in the developed world occurs in Australia. If you have been injured by a healthcare professional including a doctor, nurse or technician during an angiogram and would like to speak to a medical negligence law firm without further obligation, just use the helpline. If you have a viable angiogram compensation claim a medical negligence lawyer who deals exclusively in personal injury claims will speak to you. Our personal injury lawyers offer free advice and information on how best to preserve your legal right to receive compensation as a result of injuries caused by medical negligence. Merely speaking to one our our lawyers does not commit you to dealing with our lawyers nor will you receive any bill for the initial advice that you receive from us. Our angiogram medical negligence lawyers telephone advice is given without charge and without further obligation. Do yourself justice and call our specialist personal injury law firm today.

Our medical negligence solicitors have offices situated in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, and Sydney.
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What is an Angiogram

An angiogram is a procedure done on the heart that uses x-rays and contrast dye to visualize what is going on at the level of the coronary arteries. The procedure is also known as a cardiac catheterization with contrast dye. A catheter is placed at the opening of coronary arteries and dye is injected into the arteries to outline what's going on at the inside of the arteries.

A special type of dye that is seen by x-ray machines is injected into specific cardiac vessels. The machine takes a picture called an angiogram that details the contour of the blood vessels on the inside. The procedure can end at that point or the doctor can use the catheter in order to do an angioplasty, which opens up the blood vessels immediately after the angiogram is done.

Reasons for the Procedure

Why might you have to have a coronary angiogram done? The following are symptoms or conditions that may indicate that an angiogram be performed:

  • Chest pain or angina, which can be a symptom of coronary heart disease.
  • Unfamiliar pain in the jaw, neck, arm or chest that can't properly be diagnosed using other types of testing.
  • Having a heart defect from birth, also known as having congenital heart disease.
  • Having a weak heart, also known as having heart failure.
  • Having a problem with one or more heart valves that will ultimately need surgery.
  • An injury to the chest that needs to be diagnosed.
  • Having a problem with your blood vessels in your heart.
  • You are having some other type of surgery but have a higher than average risk of having heart disease at the time of the surgery.
  • You've had an echocardiogram or electrocardiogram that suggested you have a problem with your coronary vessels.
  • You've had a cardiac stress test that was abnormal and needs more studying.

Health Risk - Medical Negligence

If you have any concerns about your treatment, please use the helpline to speak to an angiogram medical negligence lawyer at no cost and with no further obligation.

The coronary angiogram is done not without risks. Even when the angiogram is performed without error, abnormal side effects can occur, some of which may be serious. The following risks and complications of coronary angiograms include the following:

  • You can get a blood clot at the tip of the catheter. The blood clot can break off and cause a heart attack.
  • A blood clot can break off the catheter and can travel to the brain, resulting in a stroke.
  • The catheter can come in contact with the artery as it passes through it. This can damage the artery, leading to bleeding from the artery and a heart attack.
  • You can get an arrhythmia or irregular heart beat from the catheter. The heart rate can be too fast, too slow or just out of rhythm. You may need to have a temporary pace maker placed.
  • You can be allergic to the dye used in the angiogram so that you have low blood pressure or breathing problems, necessitating medication for allergies.
  • The catheter can tear a hole in the coronary artery, leaving permanent damage to the affected artery.
  • You can damage permanently your kidneys due to a reaction between the kidneys and the contrast dye. It can result in kidney failure and the need for dialysis.
  • You can get a punctured heart which can leak blood into the pericardial sac. Such a complication requires that you have emergency heart surgery.
  • You can get an infection of the heart tissue or within the blood, leading to sepsis and the need for antibiotics.
  • There can be excessive bleeding at the site of insertion of the catheter. In severe cases, a blood transfusion might be necessary.
  • You can get blood clots that can travel to any part of the body.
  • You can suffer from excessive radiation exposure because there is a fair amount of radiation given to the person having the angiogram.

HELPLINE: ☎ 1800 633 634

The author of the substantive medical writing on this website is Dr. Christine Traxler MD whose biography can be read here