Left Ventriculography

Left Ventriculography

Ventriculography is a common medical procedure which can be defined as a radiography of the individual’s cerebral and / or heart ventricles. This technique can be performed only after the patient has been injected air or an especially designed contrast agent or a radiopaque agent. In this medical article, we will emphasize more on the test that is performed in the case of patients who are suffering from a cardiac medical condition, the one that provides a medical image of the heart’s left ventricle.

Noninvasive imaging techniques are widely employed nowadays; due to this fact, less importance is given to the ventriculogram as part of a clinical process called cardiac catheterization. In any case, entry into the patient’s left ventricle along with the visualization of the tissue and with accurate hemodynamic measurement is still a very important aspect in the process of angiography.

In the case of patients who have been diagnosed with myocardial infarction, the correct assessment of both their valvular and myocardial functions (which can be achieved with the help of this medical technique – Left Ventriculography) is of great importance, as it is able to provide the patient’s medical specialist with detailed information which can help him or her decide upon the proper medical care that the patient is to be given. Furthermore, obese patients who present difficult echocardiographic windows can also benefit from this type of medical technique, as a Left Ventriculography can yield medical data that cannot be obtained from other types of clinical studies (such as echocardiograms, for example).

This type of medical procedure (Left Ventriculography) is employed in the diagnosis of a wide variety of clinical disorders; in case you think that you would benefit from this type of medical imaging technique you should refer to your personal medical prescriber and discuss with him or her this medical aspect.

Left Ventriculography Description

This type of non-invasive ventricular imaging can be performed with the help of blood pool radionuclide imaging, contrast X-rays, CTs (that employ electron beams) two or three-dimensional echocardiography, and so on. The traditional method for the clinical evaluation of the patient’s both regional and global function of their left ventricle is the contrast X-ray Left Ventriculography. Depending on the physician’s requirements, this type of medical study is performed in a single mode or in a biplane mode. The results of this type of test (called ventriculograms) can be quantitatively analyzed, providing the physician with extremely important data: end systolic, diastolic and also stroke volumes; further medical data concerning regional wall motion can also be acquired. The volumes can be determined with the help of two-dimensional clinical models of the heart’s left ventricle.

The best way to perform this type of medical non-invasive imaging technique is with the help of a pigtail catheter which is able to avoid the following complications from arising: catheter movement, myocardial staining, and so on. However, as this type of medical catheter is not able to measure the accurate pressure gradients through the heart ventricle, this procedure is much more difficult to apply in the case of patients who are suffering from aortic stenosis (it is difficult for the medical provider to make the catheter cross the aortic valve – this is the first step of a Left Ventriculography). After the catheter reaches the left ventricle, it should be placed in the mid cavity of the heart ventricle, in order to avoid excessive ectopy (which is known to affect the normal interpretation of the wall motion). The confirmation of the correct positioning of the catheter can be acquired through a test injection with approximately 5 cc of the desired contrast medical agent. All required hemodynamic measurements must be applied before the patient undergoes this type of medical imaging technique (Left Ventriculography). All individuals must always keep in mind that this type of medical technique should not be applied in the case of patients who are suffering from severe aortic stenosis, decompensated heart failure, ventricular thrombosis, and so on.

Left Ventriculography Related Medication

As we have already mentioned in this medical article, a patient who undergoes a Left Ventriculography must be injected a special substance, known as a contrast agent. In this part of our presentation, we will focus on this type of clinical substance.

The injection of the contrast medium is performed through a power injector; the contrast agent fills the cavity of the left ventricle. The power injector can be adjusted in several ways, including rate of pressure rise, volume rate, flow rate, pressure rate, and so on. Such medical factors vary from one patient to another as they depend on the size of the ventricle, on the type of catheter and also on the size of the tube, and so on. In most cases, 10-15 ml/sec for 30-40 cc are considered optimal for such a medical procedure (Left Ventriculography).

One of the most common brand names under which such a contrast agent can be purchased is Optiray. This type of substance belongs to the class of iodinated contrast media; the generic name of this product is Ioversol. A milliliter of Optiray 350 is known to contain 0.2 mg of a special stabilizer called edentate calcium disodium, an effective buffer called tromethamine (3.6 mg) and also ioversol (741 mg). The administration of this substance in the case of individuals who are suffering from a severe type of kidney disorder must be made with great caution. The most common adverse manifestations which have been reported in the case of patients who had undergone Left Ventriculography and have been injected ioversol include pain and warmth.

This medical substance is indicated in the case of adult patients who undergo coronary arteriography, CT (of the body and / or of the head), digital subtraction venography and angiography; the same product can also be employed in the case of children who undergo angiocardiography.

You should know that you can always refer to your local pharmacist and discuss with him or her certain general aspects concerning this type of medical products. You can also acquire such medical data from your personal physician or from a nurse. We want all patients to be well aware of the fact that this medical article should only be considered a supplement to the professional expertise of your PD.