I have to have an angiogram next week to look at a possible aneurysm. I've had a heart catherization before, so I know it's similar to that. This time though I have to go through a pre op assessment before I can have it. What do they do at the pre op assessment? Can anyone tell me? Thanks

its just your standard "HnP"history and checking for any possible problems that could cause a problem during the angio.its a pretty straight forward thing that i have probably had done like at least five or six times.i too am awaiting my follow up angio.my aneurysm was coiled right about this time last year so this is just the standard follow up so they can see how things are going in there.your right,they do go thru the femoral artey in the groin and then snake that cath on up to the top of the carotid ,but still in the neck,they dont actually go into the brain itself at this point,only when and if you would actually have a coiling done would they enter the actual brain.they just shoot the die from the neck area.it goes pretty quickly.if you have any other questions please just hollar,K? good luck,Marcia

Can they coil the aneurysm during the angiogram, or will that be done later if needed? Also is the assessment like bloodwork, xray, or anything. I'm having a lot of chest pain with shortness of breath. Should I tell them about this so they can do a chest xray first?

unfortunetly they cannot do the coling while they are doing the angiogram.mostly because the IR doc who is doing it has to scedule you time for it which he is only doing your angio at that point in time.

I would most definitely bring up the shortness of breath to any docs that are treating you.i am not too sure why but right before my actual coiling was done,my IR actually requested that i have a chest x ray.i was told that he routinely does this with all of his pre coiling patients.i dont know if he was checking to make sure i didn't actually also have a triple A type of aneurysm in the aorta that kind of sits just below the stomach area,or for some other reason,but it was done.i don't know if this is a standard practice with all IRs before coilings or what but i can only tell you what my doc did.

any medical issues should be handled thru your primary tho.he can do the x ray right there in most cases.this is something that they would most definitely want to evaluate before they would actually do any type of procedure using anesthesia,which the coiling does,but not the angio.

it is actually doing the pre assessment that they are looking for things like your SOB,just so they know about it and can accomodate you and any actual medical issues.just tell you doc about anything that you don't feel is right and he will evaluate it for you before anything is actually done with your aneurysm.who knows,you may not even be able to have yours coiled.they didn't think at first with mine that it was even coilable and my NS told me that it was not clippable either,man i was scared to death with the thought that i may have to just live with this little time bomb inside my head.it wasn't til the actual angio was done that my IRs exact words were 'oh hell,i can coil THAT" i did a huge WHEW when he said that,believe me.

in order to even be a candidate for coiling,the aneurysm itself has to have a "neck".a smaller opening right where it meets with the actual rest of the artery.it would look kind of like a half inflated balloon? any aneurysms that appear more 'bubble like" are not good candidates only because there is no way for the coils to actually stay inside the aneurysm.that neck is what holds them in place til actual clots can form inside there and hold it itself.

hopefully,yours has that neck there so it can be coiled for you.i wish you lots of luck with this and am really hoping you can have yours coiled.it is just soo much easier and less invasive.the angio will show for sure.if you have anymore questions,just hollar.marcia