As an interventional radiologist, Dr. James Summa performs a broad range of diagnostic procedures. Dr. James Summa most recently served as a partner with White Rock Radiology, where he built on extensive experience with angiography.
A angiogram provides physicians with X-ray images of the interiors of a patient's blood vessels. It uses an angiographic catheter that the performing physician guides into the vessel with the aid of a hollow needle. The catheter allows the physician to take X-ray images of the interior of the vein, a process that the practitioner then repeats after injecting a contrast dye to help him or her visualize blood flow. The full procedure can take between a half hour to a few hours.
Radiologists may perform the angiogram as a diagnostic or a therapeutic tool. A diagnostic angiogram simply assesses an artery or vein for problems such as blockages or aneurysms. A therapeutic angiogram, by contrast, may involve such interventions as angioplasty of a blocked blood vessel or embolization to restrict blood flow. Both types typically allow the patient to go home the same day and to resume normal activity levels within one to two days.
A angiogram provides physicians with X-ray images of the interiors of a patient's blood vessels. It uses an angiographic catheter that the performing physician guides into the vessel with the aid of a hollow needle. The catheter allows the physician to take X-ray images of the interior of the vein, a process that the practitioner then repeats after injecting a contrast dye to help him or her visualize blood flow. The full procedure can take between a half hour to a few hours.
Radiologists may perform the angiogram as a diagnostic or a therapeutic tool. A diagnostic angiogram simply assesses an artery or vein for problems such as blockages or aneurysms. A therapeutic angiogram, by contrast, may involve such interventions as angioplasty of a blocked blood vessel or embolization to restrict blood flow. Both types typically allow the patient to go home the same day and to resume normal activity levels within one to two days.