Angiography at Arnot Health

Using computers and a specialized X-ray unit, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) produces pictures of the arteries or veins in various parts of the body. Ordinarily, X-rays pass through the blood vessels of the body without producing a picture. With DSA, contrast medium (dye) is used to allow your arteries or veins to show up clearly on X-ray images. The computer "sorts out" the images of the arteries by "subtracting" or eliminating from the completed picture everything except the dye-filled arteries. This exam can routinely be done on an outpatient basis using very small amounts of contrast medium to obtain quality images.