Discharge Instructions for Renal Angiography

A renal angiography is a study of the blood vessels in your kidneys. Here's what to do at home following this procedure.

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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

  • Don't drive until the day after your procedure.

  • Do only light and easy activities for  2 to 3  days after the procedure.

  • Don't do any strenuous activity for  2 weeks after the procedure.

  • Exercise according to your healthcare provider's recommendations.

  • Ask your healthcare provider when you can return to work.

  • 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.

  • Take your medicines exactly as directed.

  • 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.

  • 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:

  • Steady or increasing pain or any numbness in your leg

  • Fever of  100.4° F ( 38°C) or higher, or as directed by your healthcare provider

  • Chills

  • Signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, or warmth at the incision site

  • A leg that feels cold or looks blue

  • Bleeding, bruising, or lots of swelling where the catheter was inserted

  • Blood in your urine

  • Black or tarry stools

  • Any unusual bleeding

  • Having more or less urine than normal (a change in urine output)

Call 911

Call 911 if any of the following occur:

  • Trouble breathing

  • Large amount of bleeding or bleeding that can't be stopped