Dear Sandra -

I was fortunate that the area that comes most into play with an angiogram/angioplasty - the inside of the thigh - is not particularly affected by the RSD.

What they do is first give you a bunch of lidocaine or other local anesthetic in the region (anyone with an allergy to sulfa drugs must insist on preservative free lidocaine et al). If you want, they can offer you "mild sedation" which in other contexts has knocked me out, so I declined it. As it was, the procedure wasn't painful at all. Perhaps the most challenging part is at the end. If they put a collagen plug in you - and they will ask about allergies to beef or beef byproducts - they then put about 30 lbs. of continuous pressure (which isn't much) for about 20 minutes, and then ask that you remain absolutely prone for a couple of hours thereafter, at which point you can go home. If they don't use the plug, they wind up applying stronger pressure for what I understand to be up to an hour or more, and then insist that you remain prone for another 8 hours thereafter.

In either case - and having had this done twice - I would really and truly urge you to ask your doctor to have you catheterized before the procedure starts.

And in the unfortunate event that your groin is affected by the RSD then I would STRONGLY urge you to have continuous regional anesthesia in place throughout and for perhaps a few hours following the procedure. For articles on the topic, check out the "RSD/CPRS and Surgery" heading at the RSDSA Medical Articles Archive page at http://www.rsds.org/2/library/articl...ive/index.html

Take care,

Mike