Angioplasty and Stents
Angioplasty is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to open narrowed areas in the arteries of the heart by inflating a tiny balloon in the artery. Angioplasty, also known as percutaneous coronary intervention, relieves the recurrence of chest pain, reduces complications of heart disease and can improve quality of life.
Plaque or fat can cause the inside of the arteries to narrow or completely close, causing insufficient blood flow to the heart muscles. With angioplasty, a small balloon at the end of a catheter is inflated in the artery, which compresses the plaque or fatty deposit that has caused the artery to narrow. This restores adequate blood flow through the artery to the heart muscle.
In most cases, a stent – a small metal coil or mesh tube – is inserted within the coronary artery to prevent it from narrowing after the balloon is deflated and removed.
|
|
