Discharge Instructions for Renal Angiography
You had a procedure called a renal angiography. This imaging test checks the blood vessels in your kidneys. This procedure used a thin, flexible tube called a catheter. The catheter is inserted into one of your blood vessels through a small cut or incision. A dye is injected to make your blood vessels show up better on X-ray images. Then X-ray pictures are taken. Here’s what to do at home following this procedure.
Home care
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Don't drive until the day after your procedure.
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Do only light and easy activities for 2 to 3 days after the procedure.
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Don't do any strenuous activity for 2 weeks after the procedure.
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Exercise according to your healthcare provider's recommendations.
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Ask your healthcare provider when you can return to work.
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You can shower the day after your procedure. But don't swim or sit in a bath or hot tub until your incision has healed.
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Take your medicines exactly as directed.
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Unless told otherwise, drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. This will prevent fluid loss or dehydration. It will also help flush the X-ray dye out of your body.
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Take your temperature and check your incision for signs of infection every day for a week. Check for redness, swelling, or warmth at the incision site.
Follow-up care
Make a follow-up appointment with your healthcare provider, or as directed.
When to call your healthcare provider
Call your healthcare provider right away if any of the following occur:
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Steady or increasing pain or any numbness in your leg
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Fever of 100.4° F ( 38°C) or higher, or as directed by your healthcare provider
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Chills
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Signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, or warmth at the incision site
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A leg that feels cold or looks blue
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Bleeding, bruising, or lots of swelling where the catheter was inserted
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Blood in your urine
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Black or tarry stools
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Any unusual bleeding
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Having more or less urine than normal (a change in urine output)
Call 911
Call 911 if any of the following occur:
Online Medical Reviewer:
Melinda Murray Ratini DO
Online Medical Reviewer:
Neil Grossman MD
Online Medical Reviewer:
Tara Novick BSN MSN
Date Last Reviewed:
12/1/2022
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