A stent is a small metal tube or coil used to hold a narrowed artery open. Your healthcare provider places the stent by performing an atherectomy or angioplasty, which compress or remove plaque found in the artery. In some cases, the stent is placed during a balloon angioplasty. The procedure follows these steps: An expandable […]
balloon angioplasty
Angioplasty
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 […]