Venography provides your doctor with information about your blood vessels and can detect if there's a problem with the blood flow back to your heart.  A specially trained doctor called an interventional radiologist will perform the procedure.

On the day of your examination, you will have blood drawn and may have to have a computed tomography (CT) scan and/or an ultrasound exam. An intravenous catheter (IV) will be connected to either your arm or hand.  IV medicine to relax you will be administered through this catheter.

In order to look at a specific vein, the interventional radiologists will insert a small tube into that vein.  The skin around the tube insertion site will be numbed with a special medicine.  Then X-ray dye will be injected through the tube.  You will feel a warm sensation from this dye.  X rays will then be taken, and the interventional radiologists will look at the images on a monitor to determine what is causing the blood flow problem.

After the procedure, you will remain in the recovery area of the radiology suite.  Your IV will be removed before you go home.  The bandage over the tube insertion site can be removed the morning after the procedure. You will be instructed to drink plenty of fluids for 24 hours following the procedure.