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

• 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