My primary care doctor is sending me to a cardiologist and thinks that I may need a PTCA. I know what a bypass is, but what is a PTCA?
When the arteries surrounding the heart become blocked or partially blocked by plaque (a combination of cholesterol, calcium and certain other elements), a cardiologist has several treatment options, including a bypass or a PTCA. PTCA (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) is a nonsurgical procedure used to widen or expand arteries affected by plaque. The cardiologist will insert a small plastic tube (catheter) into an artery in your leg (occasionally the arm is used). The catheter will be guided to the arteries surrounding the heart. A special x-ray camera is used to guide the catheter to the coronary arteries. When the catheter is in place, a second smaller catheter with a balloon on its tip is passed through the first catheter. Once the catheter is in place, the balloon is inflated and compresses the plaque to open up the artery. The benefit of this procedure is that blood can flow more easily through the formerly narrowed part of the coronary artery. As you know, a bypass
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