Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA, or balloon angioplasty) is performed in the cardiac cath lab. PTCA brings blood flow to a healthy level by opening arteries closed by fatty plaque. This occurs in the following steps: An expandable balloon catheter is placed into a narrow coronary artery. The balloon is inflated, compressing plaque against the […]
artery wall
Aortic Aneurysm
An aneurysm occurs when an artery’s wall becomes weak and thin, and stretches and bulges like a balloon. An aortic aneurysm occurs in the aorta. An AAA, or abdominal aortic aneurysm, occurs in the most common affected part of the aorta: the abdominal, or stomach, area. Because the aorta is the main artery to leave […]