Four months post-AVM resection, and scheduled tomorrow for repeat Angiogram. My first two were done while under general anesthesia... no such luck tomorrow. Anyone care to share how this goes? I, for the first time, am freaking out a bit. Hope they serve adequate narcotics tomorrow!!!
I have had two angios, the first one I was out cold on propofol but the second one they just gave me a nice IV sedative. I actually remember the second one but it wasn't that bad with the drugs.
I do remember them cutting into my groin and i felt a pinch but it wasn't anything horrible. When they inject the dye you kind of feel warm but other than that I don't remember it being very eventful.
I would ensure that they give you proper sedation beforehand and you should be just fine!
I had one in January and was awake for the whole thing. I had a great group of people in the OR with me and a doc that was very concerned with how I was doing and my well being. I am sure it will go very well, they do have great drugs and I did not feel any pain and was in a very good mood through out which is not me at all in being in the hospital. Let me know how you are when you can, I am praying and thinking of you
Hi. Wanted to wish you luck today with your angio. Let me know how you make out.
Hope angio went well. My first one was a 6-vessel nightmare but that was right after I had a small bleed. The radiologist who did the second 2-vessel one for targeting during my gamma knife surgery said it looked like I had another little bleed during the first angio. The second one was pretty uneventful. I’m very allergic to the contrast dye so my docs are monitoring me with MRI-angio since im not allergic to the MRI dyes.
Please post again and let us know how it went and how you are doing!
I just had one a week ago and was awake the whole time. As stated in the other comments, they'll give you a mild sedative and they'll using a numbing agent on the area around the artery area. You might feel a few pinches and a little bit of pressure, but the whole thing only lasts a few minutes. Please don't be stress out about it. It's really not painful. In fact, the soreness for a few days after is worse, and that's not bad at all, either.
My first & last angio was a nightmare. I ended up staying 2 nights in the hospital. I was talking funny, backwards actually and could not remeber certain things. I could not say what certain items were that the Dr. was asking me but I could count to 10 but in the next breath could not tell him what his watch was. When they injected the dye I would see orange lights go from one side of my head to the other & it was so hot it felt like my head was boiling. They did an mri the next morning to clarify that I did not have a stroke. I don't know what happened to me. The radiologist, neurologist & neurosurgeon may have a chat to try to figure out what was what. I had such awful pain on the side of my head & my avm was so pulsing it felt like my head was going to burst. I am still having headaches on the side of my head - feels like a screwdriver is being poked in & out and still seeing white lights go across my face & then like a light burst. Never had these before the angio. If I knew then what I know now I don't think I ever would have had it done.
Don't go by me cause I am sure you won't go thru what I did
Take care,
DeeDee
Deedee, your experience in medical speak would be considered a "transient neurological event" and could possibly be caused by a tia (transient ischemic attack), or momentary loss of oxygen to a part of the brain due to blocking an artery supplying blood to the brain. Aphasia is the second-most common type of "neurological event" that can happen from a tia; hemiparesis is the first. Complications like yours occur in less than 1% of cerebral angiograms.
They usually twilight you, so you are not completely 'out', but it's not bad at all. Doesn't hurt or anything from my memory.....
Thank you! It went smoothly, had no pain what so ever. I guess I was panicking over nothing... Will keep you in mind for next month... hoping all goes smoothly for you as well!
Barb
Thank You!! It did go very smoothly, and I feel silly for being so paranoid. Hopefully, this is the LAST procedure... just waiting for the results. Many thanks again... Barb