Coronary angiography is a procedure in which a contrast material which can be seen using specialised equipment, is injected into one of the arteries of the heart. This allows the observation of the blood flow through the heart to detect blockages in arteries. An intravenous line is inserted into one of the blood vessels in the arm or groin area. A catheter is then inserted through the IV which is carefully guided into the heart using an x-ray machine that produces real-time pictures.

The arteries of the heart can become narrowed and blocked due to buildup of a material called plaque on their inner walls. This narrowing reduces the flow of blood through the artery and can lead, over time, to coronary artery disease and heart attack. In angioplasty, a thin tube with a balloon or other device on the end is first threaded through a blood vessel in the arm or groin region up to the site of a narrowing or blockage in a coronary artery. Once in place, the balloon is then inflated to push the plaque outward against the wall of the artery, widening the artery and restoring the flow of blood through it. A device called a stent is inserted in the area where the artery is narrowed to keep it open. Some stents are "coated" with medication to help prevent the artery from closing again.

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery, also known as Bypass Surgery is advised for selected groups of patients with significant narrowings and blockages of the heart arteries (coronary artery disease).

A device called a defibrillator is inserted into the patient's heart and chest to send out a small, controlled electrical pulse when needed to get the heart rhythm back to normal.