What is an angiogram versus an angioplasty?

X-ray vs. treatment: Angiogram is x-ray of a blood vessel to establish a diagnosis of what is wrong. In contrast, angioplasty is repair of a blood vessel. It can be done by an open operation where a narrowed artery is opened, the narrow area cut out, and a patch sewn to widen the artery. Also can be done by a balloon catheter, passed via a needle, to compress the plaque& keep vessel open with a stent.

Dye vs. Stretch: Angio=blood, gram=picture, i.e. Blood picture; actually an x-ray shadowgram, still or motion, of dye mixed into the blood (the artery wall & disease in wall never shows). Angio=blood, plasty=physical change /remolding of tissue wall enclosing the blood via hydraulic inflation. Angiogram about vessel opening, angioplasty about changing the opening. Neither shows vessel wall or disease in the wall.

Picture/Intervention: An angiogram is an image of the lumen of a blood vessel, typically done with due from within a vessel. If the angiogram shows a narrowing or stenosis, an angioplasty may be performed, which is inflating a balloon within the vessel to dilate it.

Difference: Angiogram is a test injecting dye into the blood vessel to outline the anatomy. Angioplasty is using a balloon to dilate areas of narrowing or stenosis of the blood vessel