How is angioplasty done?
Once a significant blockage (more than 50% obstruction of the arterial channel) is detected by the coronary angiogram in a patient with chest pains, the cardiologist doing the procedure gets a special catheter that has an inflatable balloon towards the tip. The angiogram catheter is pulled out and the special balloon catheter is inserted to the femoral artery thru the same sheath. The balloon is still deflated at this time as the catheter is directed into the blocked artery under continuous X-ray guidance. Once the balloon is inside the segment of the artery that is tightly blocked, the balloon is inflated to push open the obstructed artery. This dilates the narrowed segment. A stainless steel stent (a tiny spiral coil spring) is then inserted within that dilated segment to prevent the walls from collapsing (re-blocking) the lumen of the artery. What causes coronary artery blockage? Cholesterol from the food we eat, smoking, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition – all these cause ou
