Digital Substraction Angiography, "Brainwashing" Procedure?

Angiography is a diagnostic tool for displaying blood vessels in the body using contrast agents. The incorporation of x-ray technology with fluoroscopy and contrast agents and the aid of devices that produce contrasting and clear blood vessel medical images.

        DSA (Digital Substraction Angiography) as known as the "brainwashing" method is an invasive radioimaging technique to see the meaning of blood vessels. This technique can be done with a variety of endovascular interventions such as installing stents, coil, flushing modifications, or other modifications that can correct cerebrovascular abnormalities in patients. In the DSA technique, software manipulates images using a mathematical algorithm called "masking" to remove unwanted background images or network shadows.

        The use of DSA is no longer merely an educational tool but also as a major supporting tool for procedures for protecting blood vessels such as blockages or rupture of blood vessels or cardiovascular diseases such as strokes, ischemic heart disease, aneurysms and others. Angiography rooms must be equipped with monitoring equipment which monitors the patient's heart rate, blood oxygenation, and intermittent blood pressure measurement. All of DSA procedures must be carried out under strict aseptic conditions, including clothing, techniques, and preparation. The procedure for implementing DSA is as follows:

• The patient lies on an angiography table.

• Local anesthesia is given at the place where the puncture is requested, in certain procedures general anesthesia can be performed (e.g. brain angiography in children).

• The Seldinger technique is used to get access to blood vessels: 1) Using ultrasound to visualize the delivery in real time for injection. 2) A standard access kit where catheters are stored and therapeutic installed. 3) In many cases, the micro-introductory access kit is used as access, either for the whole procedure or replaced by a standard kit. The advantage, the trauma caused is more minimal and using micro-introductory makes it easier to enter traumatic and can be taken without massive bleeding.

• At the end, hemostasis is applied to the injection site.

        After the procedure, the patient must be immobilized for 4-6 hours and remain in the supine position. Frequent observations to look for hematomas/bleeding on the site of injection. This procedure cannot be performed on patients who have renal insufficiency and hypersensitivity to iodinated contrast media.