Cardiology & Cardiothoracic Surgery

Procedure

Coronary angioplasty is a procedure that opens blocked arteries and allows blood to flow to your heart muscle. Angioplasty is not surgery. It opens a clogged coronary artery by inflating a tiny balloon in it. This information sheet discusses what the procedure is, who needs it, how it is done, and recovery afterwards.
Purpose

An angioplasty is done to reopen a partially blocked blood vessel so that blood can flow through it again at a normal rate. In patients with an occlusive vascular disease such as atherosclerosis, the flow of blood to other organs or remote parts of the body is limited by the narrowing of the vessel's lumen due to fatty deposits or patches known as plaque. Once the vessel has been widened, an adequate blood flow is restored. The vessel may narrow again over time at the same location, however, and the procedure may need to be repeated.

Before Angioplasty

A cardiologist (a doctor who treats people with heart conditions) performs coronary angioplasty at a hospital. If your angioplasty isn't done as emergency treatment, you'll meet with your cardiologist before the procedure. Your doctor will go over your medical history (including the medicines you take), do a physical exam, and talk about the procedure with you. Your doctor also will order some routine tests, including:

• Blood tests
• An EKG (electrocardiogram)
• A chest x ray