Coronary Angioplasty

What Is Coronary Angioplasty?

Coronary angioplasty is a technique used to open clogged arteries in the heart.  Sometimes referred to as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary angioplasty eases the symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath.  It can also be useful for quickly opening an artery to minimize heart damage during a heart attack.   

During coronary angioplasty, the cardiologist injects a local anesthetic into the patient’s groin where the femoral artery is located.  In some cases, an artery in the arm or wrist is selected for the procedure.  Small electrode pads placed on the patient’s chest monitor the heart rate and rhythm.  Fluids, blood-thinning medications, and sedatives are administered intravenously.  The cardiologist makes a small incision into the artery and threads a thin guide wire through it until it reaches the blockage.  A balloon catheter is inserted in the same way through which a small amount of dye is injected.  The dye helps the cardiologist see the blockage on an angiogram.   

To dislodge the blockage, the cardiologist inflates and deflates the small balloon at the end of the catheter for up to several minutes at a time.  The patient may experience some chest pain when the blood supply to the heart cuts off due to the inflation of the balloon.  A stent coiled around the balloon expands and locks into place in the artery when the balloon is inflated.  This stent holds the artery open permanently.  If it is a drug-eluting stent, it slowly releases medication that prevents the artery from re-clogging.  The balloon catheter is then removed and angiograms are taken to examine the flow of blood within the artery.  Once the procedure is complete and the guide wire removed, the incision is sutured shut.  Further treatment may be necessary to ensure that blood clots do not form on the stent.   

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