How is an angioplasty carried out?
The doctor will numb an area in your abdomen or arm and then insert a catheter (small tube) into an artery in the numbed region. The catheter is then guided through the blood vessel into the coronary artery. With the use of diagnostic tools, the doctor will move the catheter inside the artery. After this, a very thin wire is then guided through the catheter and the blockage. Over this wire, a thin tube carrying an expandable balloon is passed to the blocked passage. Then, the balloon is inflated at the blocked vessel portion which will push the deposited material (plaque) aside and expand the artery, making the flow of blood easier. In the majority of patients, a wire mesh tube which is in a collapsed state (stent) mounted on a dedicated balloon, is moved over the wire to the blocked region. When the balloon is inflated, it will open the stent against the walls of the artery. The stent will get locked in this state and will aid to keep the artery in this position. You can get