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Catheter Placement in the Femoral Vein

Illustration copyright 2000 by Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com

For angiography, a thin, soft tube (catheter) is placed in a blood vessel in the groin (such as in the femoral vein). First, a doctor numbs the area with a local anesthetic. Then, a needle is placed into the blood vessel. A guide wire is put through the needle into the blood vessel and the needle is removed. The catheter is slid over the guide wire and moved into the blood vessel. The catheter is guided through the blood vessels until the tip is in the area to be studied.

By Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Howard Schaff, MD - Diagnostic Radiology
Last Revised December 5, 2010

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: December 05, 2010
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.
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