According to an estimation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009, more than $304.6 billion will be the spent on heart disease. It is the leading cause of death in the United States. Most of the heart diseases take place when the paths ways to the organ heart called the artiries and veins get blocked. A common medical technique to get an image of these path ways is the Angiography. This article tries to gain further insight on this technique.

A Portuguese physician and neurologist Dr. Egas Moniz , developed this technique in the year 1927 using the energy waves called X-rays. However, it was in the year 1953, that the technique became prevalent, safer and an established method of medical imaging. The three main components of this technique are: The Contrast Agent, Femoral artery/Vein, Catheters.

The Role of Contrast Agent: It is a substance which increases the visibility of the blood vessels and the hollow inner volume inside them. Any roadblocks in these volumes of the vessels get easily detected as a result. The contrast agent does so by absorbing the X-rays sent in to the target region and illuminating the veins and arteries of that region. Iodine and Barium are two such contrast agents. They are used primarily because when the X-ray interacts with them, no harmful substances are formed in turn. In recent times, MRI and Ultrasonography are used as available options of contrast agent.

The Role of Femoral Artery/Vein: The femoral artery/vein is a large artery/vein present in the muscles of the thigh. The arteries and veins present here are of special medical significance. Though they belong to the region thigh, they have direct access to the arteries and veins of the organ heart. It is here from where the contrast agent is injected to the body before the arteries and veins are illuminated with X-rays.

The Role of Catheters: In medicine, a catheter is a tube that can be inserted in to a body vessels. It provides access to surgical instruments and helps in drainage or injection of fluids in to the vessels. The catheters are placed in the femoral arteries of the thighs and the contrast agents like iodine or barium are injected there. Because of the access provided by these arteries to the pathways of the heart, the contrast agents reach there.

Later when the arteries and the veins of the heart are exposed before the X-ray energy waves, the contrast agents absorb the energy and illuminate them. An image of these arteries is created by the surrounding scanning machines.

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