Balloon angioplasty is one of three standard treatments for coronary artery disease (also referred to as CAD) -. Here, the blood that flows to the heart is restricted due to hardened arteries (atherosclerosis) that are blocked with plaque deposits. CAD could also be treated with medication or bypass surgery.

What balloon angioplasty does is to push the fatty plaque back against the artery wall in order to make more room for blood to flow through the artery. This results in the improvement of cardiac symptoms and function. We could also use balloon angioplasty as treatment for a heart attack in some emergency facilities.

Balloon angioplasty is a catheter-based procedure. A local anesthetic is used in order to numb a specific area of the patient's body, which is usually the groin area or upper thigh where the femoral artery is located. The physician then inserts a long, thin tube with a deflated balloon at the tip into the artery and immediately guides it to the heart. When the physician reaches the site of the blockage, he inflates the balloon, pushing the plaque in the artery back against the wall of the artery. The balloon-tipped catheter is then removed. In most cases, a wire mesh tube (called stent) will be permanently implanted to hold the artery open. 24 hours later, most of the patients are free to go home.

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Last Update: 19/01/2007