Left heart ventricular angiography is a procedure to look at the
left side of the heart and, sometimes, the coronary arteries.
Angiography - left heart; Left ventriculography How the test is
performed Before the test, you will be given medicine to help
you relax. You will be awake and able to follow instructions
during the test. An intravenous line is placed in your arm. The
health care provider cleans and numbs an area on your arm or
groin. A cardiologist makes a small cut in the area, and inserts
a thin flexible tube (catheter) into an artery. Using x-rays as
a guide, the doctor carefully moves the thin tube (catheter)
into your heart. When the tube is in place, dye is injected
through it. The dye flows through the blood vessels, making them
easier to see. X-rays are taken as the dye moves through the
blood vessels. These x-ray pictures create a "movie" of the left
ventricle as it contracts rhythmically. The procedure may last
from 1 to several hours. How to prepare for the test You will be
told not to eat