Coronary angioplasty and the coronary stent
What is coronary angioplasty ?
It is a minimally invasive procedure used to open a stenosed vessel (blocked) (angio = blood vessel, plasty = model). The procedure follows the following steps; A catheter is advanced to the arteries of the heart, the catheter has a balloon tip deflated and folded well. When the balloon reaches the stenosis is inflated. Then the balloon is deflated. The result is that the heart muscle receives optimal quantity of blood again. Then the catheter is withdrawn.
Dr. Alexandru Mischie, cardiologist, explains that in order to reduce the chances of recurrence of stenosis, after balloon vessel is removed, the cardiologist can implant a stent at the stenosis level (flexible hollow tube made from various metals that resembles a pen spring). During the angioplasty procedure, some patients may feel a slight burning sensation in the chest, sensation that appears due to the presence of the balloon or due to injection of contrast.
All data on this site is purely informational and should not be considered medical advice. If you need a medical oppinion consult a physician.
What are the benefits of angioplasty:
* In angina pectoris: angioplasty reduces symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath, but until now it has not been shown to reduce mortality. If more than 2 coronary arteries are diseased, the cardiologist may recommend cardiac surgery, which has better results than angioplasty in carefully selected situations.
* In acute myocardial infarction: saves lives and reduces subsequent complications.