What Is Coronary Angioplasty?
Coronary angioplasty (AN-jee-oh-plas-tee) is a
medical procedure in which a balloon is used to open a blockage in a coronary
(heart) artery narrowed by
atherosclerosis
(ATH-er-o-skler-O-sis). This procedure improves blood flow to the heart.
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which a material
called plaque (plak) builds up on the inner walls of the arteries. This can
happen in any artery, including the coronary arteries, which carry oxygen-rich
blood to your heart. When atherosclerosis affects the coronary arteries, the
condition is called
coronary
artery disease (CAD).
Angioplasty is a common medical procedure. It may be
used to:
- Improve symptoms of CAD, such as
angina
and shortness of breath.
- Reduce damage to the heart muscle from a
heart
attack. A heart attack occurs when blood flow through a coronary artery is
completely blocked. Angioplasty is used during a heart attack to open the
blockage and restore blood flow through the artery.
- Reduce the risk of death in some patients.
Angioplasty is done on more than 1 million people a
year in the United States. Serious complications don't occur often, but can
happen no matter how careful your doctor is, or how well he or she does the
procedure.
Research on angioplasty is ongoing to make it safer
and more effective, to prevent treated arteries from closing again, and to make
the procedure an option for more people.
July 2007
|