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What Is Coronary Angioplasty?
Coronary angioplasty (AN-jee-oh-plas-tee) is a medical procedure used to open narrowed or clogged blood vessels of the heart. A thin balloon or other device is threaded through a blood vessel in the groin or arm into a heart (coronary) artery. The balloon is inflated to compress the blockage and stretch the artery open. It is used in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) to:
- Relieve chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart
- Minimize damage to the heart muscle during a heart attack, which occurs when blood flow is totally cut off to an area of the heart
CAD develops over time as fatty deposits, called plaque (plak), build up on the inside walls of the coronary arteries. The buildup of plaque narrows the arteries, reducing the flow of blood to the heart. This is called atherosclerosis.
Angioplasty was first used in 1977. A tiny balloon was used to open or widen narrowed arteries. Since then, new devices and medications have improved the procedure and made it appropriate for more people. The improvements include:
- Stents: A stent is a tiny mesh tube that looks like a small spring. It 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. Most people will have a stent placed unless the artery is too small.
- When a stent is placed, only 2 out of every 10 people have the artery close again in the first 6 months.
- When a stent is not used, 4 out of 10 people have the artery close again in the first 6 months.
- Plaque removers: These devices are used to cut away plaque that narrows the inside of the arteries. There are many kinds.
- Laser: A laser is used to dissolve or vaporize plaque. The first laser device was approved in 1992. It is used in many major U.S. medical centers.
Today, over 1 million people in the U.S. receive angioplasty each year. They are best done:
- By doctors who do at least 75 angioplasties a year
- In hospitals that do at least 400 angioplasties a year.
Research on angioplasty continues to:
- Make it even safer
- Prevent the artery from closing again
- Make it an option for more people.
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