Heart artery dilation
Alternative names:
angioplasty of the heart; balloon angioplasty; coronary angioplasty; coronary artery angioplasty; percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; PTCA
Definition:
A procedure to open narrowed (stenosis) or blocked (obstructed) blood vessels (coronary arteries) of the heart muscle (myocardium). See also cardiac catheterization and angiogram.
Description:
Fat and cholesterol accumulates on the inside of arteries (atherosclerosis). The small arteries of the heart muscle (the coronary arteries) can be narrowed or blocked by this accumulation. If the narrowing is small, it may be treated with a balloon catheter rather than major surgery. This is a a small, hollow, flexible tube that has a balloon near the end of it.
While the patient is awake and pain-free (local anesthesia), the catheter is inserted into an artery at the top of the leg (the femoral artery). X-ray pictures are taken to view the catheter as it is passed up the artery, into the aorta, and into the blocked coronary artery. The small balloon at the end of the catheter is inflated and widens the area of the blockage, restoring adequate blood flow through the artery to the heart muscle.
Rarely, a device called a stent may be placed. This is a small tube that is placed within the coronary artery to keep the vessel open. One type is made of self-expanding, stainless steel mesh. (A stent may also be used after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.)
Indications:
The indications for heart artery dilatation are:
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