Angioplasty (Including Non-Ionic Contrast)

An angioplasty is a procedure that restores normal blood flow to the heart muscle in someone that has blocked arteries. The procedure is done by inserting a catheter (thin tube) through a small puncture in the arm or leg. The catheter is put through an artery and threaded through to reach the heart.

A Balloon Angioplasty is a procedure used to widen blocked or narrowed blood vessels to allow a greater blood flow to go through to the heart. This is done by filling a small balloon in the opening of the artery through the inserted catheter tube. This tube is inserted through the aforementioned puncture in the arm or leg that threads the balloon through the artery to the heart where the balloon is expanded.

Another type of procedure is a coronary angioplasty also known as a coronary stent. After a coronary angioplasty is performed, the stent is put into the heart to ensure the passageway that has a high likelihood of clogging again. This helps keep that part of the passageway open in the future. The angioplasty stent is made up of wire mesh and is inserted into the artery to keep it open long-term. It is worth noting that these stents can come in two different ways: some are coated in medicine to help keep the valve open while others are just bare mesh wire stents. When Heart Stent Surgery is performed, most patients are kept only overnight. However, if there are complications one may be kept longer for observation.