What is Angioplasty

The coronary artery and its branches supplies the heart with blood and oxygen. Over the years, these arteries are blocked by fatty deposits called plaque. The plaque causes the arteries to narrow down and reduce the blood supply to the heart. This leads to angina, a painful heart condition that is the most common symptom of arterial blockage. When medications do not help in increasing the blood flow to the heart, surgical procedures are advised. One such surgical procedure is angioplasty that was introduced by Dr. Andreas Gruentzig in mid 1970s. Let us take a look at this surgical process in the following paragraphs.

Angioplasty Surgery
It is a percutaneous surgery intervention (PCI) and not considered to be a major heart surgery. This procedure helps in restoring the blood flow to the heart in case of coronary heart disease (CDC) or coronary artery disease. This surgery is also known as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). This term means through skin (percutaneous), inside the blood vessels (transluminal), arteries related to heart (coronary) and blood vessel repair (angioplasty). In this invasive surgery, space is created by inserting and inflating a tiny balloon within the blocked artery. This helps in compressing the blocked plaque in the arterial walls making more space for the blood to flow. Then, the balloon is deflated and removed to end the surgery.

Today, more than 70% cases involve this surgery and stenting. This means doctors tend to insert a tiny mesh tube called stents into the arteries. This keeps the arteries open and prevents them from closing again due to blockage. The stent helps in preventing sudden, abrupt closure of an artery. The collapse or closure of arteries is a common problem that reduces greatly by insertion of tiny wire mesh.

About the Procedure
Let me try to give you some info about the surgical procedure in short. The patient is given a local anesthesia so that the patient feels no pain during the procedure. An important thing to know is that the patient remains conscious throughout the procedure. Now, a thin tube called catheter is inserted into the artery in the leg. This catheter is guided into the aorta with the help of the guide wire. Then a dye is injected into the coronary arteries and an X-ray is taken. The dye helps the doctor spot the site of blockage(s) within the artery. Then the catheter is guided towards the blocked site and a balloon catheter is inserted. The balloon is inflated and used to compress the blockage. The doctor may inflate the balloon several times to widen the passage. A collapsed stent may be introduced in the site and then inflated. This helps keep the arteries open and prevents them from getting blocked again. A contrast dye is inserted again and any remaining blockages are checked. If the procedure has been successful, the catheter is removed and the procedure is complete.

The Risks Involved
There are a few risks are involved that you should know before undergoing this procedure. The complications involve bleeding at the site of the catheter insertion. In some cases a blood clot is formed at site and it may damage the blood vessel. Some patients develop cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac dysrhythmias as well as myocardial infarctions. As the person is conscious, he may feel some discomfort and chest pain while the procedure is being carried out. Some other complications may arise, that you should discuss with your doctor beforehand.

The Uses
As we already know, angioplasty is a procedure that helps treating narrowed or blocked arteries and veins in the body. Other common uses include:

• Opening up of aorta and its branches that are blocked due to atherosclerosis
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition that involves narrowing of arteries in the legs and arms
• Renal vascular hypertension can cause narrowing of arteries in the kidney. A stent will help open the arteries that supply blood to the kidney.
• Opening up of neck arteries (carotid artery) that supplies blood to the brain called carotid angioplasty
• Unblocking veins in the chest or pelvic region
• Increasing flow in the graft or fistula to help improve dialysis

This is a simple procedure that is opted over a bypass surgery. Over 90% of the cases are successful after undergoing this surgical intervention. If one suffers from blocks in the heart due to atherosclerosis, or other reasons, angioplasty is performed. If you need more information about this surgical procedure, speak to your health care provider to fill you in with more details.