Angioplasty & related techniques are known as Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) PTCA is a non-surgical procedure that relieves narrowing and obstruction of the arteries to the muscle of the heart (coronary arteries). This allows more blood and oxygen to be delivered to the heart muscle.
PTCA, is now referred to as Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, or PCI, as this term includes the use of balloons, stents, Angioplasty is a procedure in which a narrowed section of the coronary artery is widened. Angioplasty is less invasive and has a shorter recovery time than bypass surgery, which is also done to increase blood flow to the heart muscle but requires open-heart surgery. Most of the time stents are placed during angioplasty.
Why It Is Done
Angioplasty with or without stenting is usually done if you have:
Frequent or severe chest pain (angina) that is not responding to medicine.
Evidence of severely reduced blood flow (ischemia) to an area of heart muscle caused by one narrowed coronary artery.
An artery that is likely to be treated successfully with angioplasty whether or not stenting is also used.
You are in good enough health to undergo the procedure.
How is the Angioplasty Done?
An angioplasty is done using a thin, soft tube called a catheter. A doctor inserts the catheter into a blood vessel in the groin or above the elbow. The doctor carefully guides the catheter through blood vessels until it reaches the blocked portion of the coronary artery. Stent placement is standard during most angioplasty procedures
Cardiac catheterization, also called coronary angiography, is performed first to identify any blockages.
Stents
A small, expandable wire tube called a stent is often permanently inserted into the artery during angioplasty. A very thin guide wire is inside the catheter. The guide wire is used to move a balloon and the stent into the coronary artery. A balloon is placed inside the stent and inflated, which opens the stent and pushes it into place against the artery wall. The balloon is then deflated and removed, leaving the stent in place. Balloon angioplasty is the most common method of inserting stents, although sometimes stents are placed without the use of a balloon. Because the stent is mesh like, the cells lining the blood vessel grow through and around the stent to help secure it.
Stenting helps to:
Open up the artery and press the plaque against the artery walls, thereby improving blood flow.
Keep the artery open after the balloon is deflated and removed.
Seal any tears in the artery wall.
Prevent the artery wall from collapsing or closing off again (restenosis).
Prevent small pieces of plaque from breaking off, which might cause a heart attack.
Drug-eluting stents are coated with medicines that prevent the growth of cells around the stent and thus are more effective than conventional stents in keeping the artery open. But experts do not yet know how safe the drug-eluting stents are over the long term or how well they work over the long term.
What To Expect After Treatment?
You would be required to remain in the hospital, on an average, for 2 nights. Your heart rate, pulse, and blood pressure will be closely monitored and the catheter insertion site checked for bleeding. Post discharge, you will be able to resume your routine activities. Your doctor will also prescribe blood-thinning medicine, which you will have to take daily to avoid blood clotting in your heart’s arteries. These medicines are essential and you should not stop them unless advised by your cardiologist. Lifestyle changes like diet and exercise would be beneficial to keep the condition in check.
How Well does Angioplasty Work?
Angioplasty relieves chest pain and improves blood flow to the heart.
Follow Up Care
Follow up care is an essential element of the overall treatment plan. Regular checkups will be advised to detect any changes in health as early as possible.