Coronary angioplasty is also known as a percutaneous coronary intervention. It is a minimally invasive procedure that aims at opening the obstructed arteries of the heart. The technique used a tiny balloon catheter, which is introduced inside the body using imaging guidance. During the procedure, a stent may be placed inside the blocked artery to prevent any clogging in future.
Indications
Coronary angioplasty is recommended to patients with arterial stenosis, a condition marked by the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Although non-surgical modalities like medication and lifestyle changes may be tried initially severe blockages call for the need for surgical intervention.
You may be recommended to undergo angioplasty if:
- Medication and Lifestyle changes are not proving to be effective
- You have aggravating chest pain
- You are experiencing a heart attack
Procedure
- Angioplasty may not always call for the need for general anaesthesia, however, local anaesthetics and sedatives will be used to make sure that you do not feel any pain or discomfort.
- Intravenous fluids and medication will be started and your vitals will be monitored
- The doctors will prepare the area from where the catheter is to be inserted and make a small incision for the same.
- The catheter will be carefully guided towards the blocked artery with the help of X-Ray imaging guidance.
- A contrast dye will be administered to offer better visualisation for added precision and accuracy.
- Once the catheter is in position, the balloon will be inflated to open the walls of narrowed arteries and restore normal blood flow.