Coronary angiography risks
The benefits of a having a coronary angiography firmly outweigh any potential risk.
Your heart is monitored throughout the test via an electrocardiogram (ECG) machine that records your heart beat (1). The risk of having a heart attack, stroke or dying is about one in a thousand (1).
The likelihood of complications occurring after a coronary angiography increases under the following conditions (2):
- If you are aged over 75 years old
- If you have other health problems, such as kidney disease or diabetes
- If you are female
- If you have coronary angiography administered on an emergency basis (heart attack)
Uncommon risks of a coronary angiography include the following:
- Allergic reaction to the contrast dye
- Bleeding, infection and pain at the site where the catheter was inserted
- Injury to blood vessels (a rare complication caused by the catheter damaging blood vessels as it is fed up to the heart)
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