What treatments are available for blocked coronary arteries?
Angioplasty: A percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or angioplasty may be done to open an artery blocked by plaque. Plaque is fatty material inside your arteries. A special tube with a balloon on the end is threaded into the blocked artery. Once the tube is in the artery, the balloon is filled with contrast dye. As the balloon fills, it presses the plaque against the artery wall. Pressing the plaque against the artery wall opens the artery up so blood can more easily flow through it. Coronary intravascular stent placement: Coronary intravascular stent placement is also called coronary artery stenting. It is often done with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or PTCA. The stent is a small mesh wire that is inserted into an artery to keep it open so blood can flow through it. When the stent is expanded by the balloon, it attaches to the artery wall and keeps the artery open. Cardiac rehabilitation: Cardiac rehabilitation includes information about cardiac disease, medicine
