Renal arteriography

What the risks are:

There is the possibility of significant risk. There is a chance of a reaction to the contrast medium. There is some risk of the catheter damaging the artery or knocking loose a piece of the artery wall, which can block the blood flow and cause a stroke. This is rare, however. A clot or bleeding at the puncture site may result in a partial blockage of the flow of blood to the leg.

There is low radiation exposure, however, most experts feel that the risk of most X-rays is smaller than other risks we take every day. Pregnant women and children are more sensitive to the risks of the X-ray.

Special considerations:

The test should not be done if you are pregnant or tend to bleed.