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Ventriculography is an examination of the left ventricle of the heart performed using a catheter or isotopes. Ventriculography is an invasive test, therefore it is performed only for clear medical indications. How is left ventricular catheterization performed? What complications may appear after the procedure?

Ventriculographyis an examination of the left (very rarely, the right) ventricle, which is performed in two ways. The first, the most common, is to administer the contrast to the heart using a catheter, and then take a series of x-rays. The second is made using a short-lived radioactive isotope - usually technetium Tc-99m.

Ventriculography-What is the purpose of the test?

Ventriculography is primarily done to help evaluate the contractility of the left ventricle. If left ventricular systolic function is not normal, the test will show what type of disorder we are dealing with:

  • hypokinesis - reduced range of contraction
  • akinesia - no shrinkage
  • dyskinesia- systolic bulging of the left ventricular wall segment

The examination also allows the visualization of abnormalities in the structure of the left ventricle, such as an aneurysm or a thrombus. Thanks to ventriculography, it is also possible to assess the advancement of heart defects (mainly of the mitral and aortic valve).Left ventriculographyalso indicates the level of intracardiac pressure.

Ventriculography using a catheter - the course of the examination

The doctor disinfects the patient's femoral groin and gives local anesthesia. It then advances a vascular catheter, called for its Pig-Tail shape, through the femoral artery into the aorta and then through the aortic valve into the left ventricle. Once the catheter is in place, the contrast is administered (30-50 ml at a rate of 12-14 ml / s) and then a series of x-rays are taken.

Then the ventriculogram calculates the so-called angiographic indicators:

  • index of end-diastolic volume (volume of blood that remains in the ventricle just before contraction)
  • end systolic volume index (volume of blood that remains in the ventricle aftercontraction)
  • ejection fraction (volume of blood that is ejected into the aorta when the heart contracts)

Ventriculography - complications

Left ventricular ventriculographyis invasive and therefore carries the risk of many complications, such as: puncture of the heart muscle through a vascular catheter, damage to the vessel wall, infection, arrhythmias and even myocardial infarction. There may also be an allergic reaction to the contrast in the form of an itchy rash. A hematoma and local bleeding may appear at the site of the puncture of the artery.

Isotope ventriculography

Isotope ventriculographyis the examination of the left heart cavity using short-lived isotopes. During the study, a radioactive isotope is introduced into the body and uses the fact that it accumulates in specific organs. Thanks to the radiation sent, it is possible to track the path followed by the isotope and its distribution in the examined organ, which differs for different diseases, which allows to study the functions of not only the heart, but also other organs.

The purpose of isotope ventriculography is the same as in the case of traditional ventriculography, but this diagnostic method is used in exceptional cases, e.g. in people with atypical forms of myocardial infarction, with ambiguous diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, in patients with abnormalities in resting ECG, pacemaker rhythm, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW).

The isotope is administered intravenously. Then, after 15 minutes, recording of images of the contracting heart at rest begins. The registration time is approximately 10-15 minutes.

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