What is the route a catheter takes in coronary angio?

What is the route a catheter takes in coronary angio?

Coronary angiography is known in short as coronary angio. It is an X-ray imaging of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels supplying oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. Coronary angio is done by injecting radiocontrast material into the coronary arteries using small tubes known as catheters. Tip of the coronary catheter is introduced into the opening of the coronary arteries from the aorta. Aorta is the largest blood vessel supplying oxygenated blood to the whole body.

Coronary angiography catheters can be introduced into the body through superficial blood vessels like the radial artery at the wrist or the femoral artery in the groin. Earlier brachial artery in front of the elbow was also used. The vessels are punctured directly under local anaesthesia and a sheath is introduced. The catheter is passed under X-ray fluoroscopic guidance.

From the radial artery, the catheter passes into the brachial artery, axillary artery, subclavian artery behind the collar collar bone and to the brachiocephalic artery at the root of the neck. Then it passes into the aorta. If the approach is from the femoral artery, it passes up into the external iliac, common iliac, and then into the descending aorta. All these three arteries are inside the abdomen or tummy. Then the catheter passes into the arch of aorta and ascending aorta.