Heart artery dilation

Alternative names:

angioplasty of the heart; balloon angioplasty; coronary angioplasty; coronary artery angioplasty; percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; PTCA

Risks:

Risks for any anesthesia are:

• reactions to medications
• problems breathing

Risks for any surgery are:

• bleeding
• infection

Additional risks include:

• complete obstruction of blood flow to an area of the heart (a small risk, less than 3%; a heart surgery team is on standby)
• damage to a valve or blood vessel
• blood clot