The angioplasty treatment is used to clear clogged coronary arteries brought on by coronary artery disease. Without requiring open-heart surgery, it brings back blood flow to the heart muscle. In an emergency, such as a heart attack, an angioplasty can be performed. If your healthcare professional has a strong suspicion that you have heart problems, it can also be performed as elective surgery.
A
long, thin tube (catheter) is inserted into a blood vessel during angioplasty
and directed to the coronary artery that is obstructed. After the catheter is
inserted, the balloon is inflated at the heart artery's constricted location.
This increases the space available for blood flow by pressing the plaque or
blood clot up against the artery's walls.
Stents
Nowadays,
almost all angioplasty operations use coronary stents. A stent is a small,
inflatable metal mesh coil. It is injected into the freshly opened portion of
the artery to prevent the artery from narrowing or closing once more.
The
tissue will begin to cover the stent like a layer of skin once the stent has
been implanted. Depending on whether the stent contains a medication coating or
not, the stent will have a fully lined tissue inside in 3 to 12 months. To
lessen the "stickiness" of platelets, doctors may prescribe drugs
called antiplatelets. Special blood cells called platelets form clumps to stop
bleeding. Additionally, the medication can stop blood clots from forming inside
of the stent. Your medical team will provide detailed instructions on which
medications and for how long they should be taken.
The
majority of stents have a medication coating to stop the formation of scar
tissue inside the stent. Drug-eluting stents (DES) are what these stents are
known. They inject a medication into the blood vessel, which reduces the stent
tissue's uncontrolled growth. This helps stop the blood vessel from getting
smaller once more. Some stents are referred to as bare-metal stents (BMS) since
they don't have this medication coating. Even though they may have greater
rates of stenosis, they don't require long-term antiplatelet medication use. In
those with a high risk of bleeding, this may be the preferable stent.
You
could require a repeat treatment if scar tissue does develop inside the stent.
This could be done with a second stent or a balloon angioplasty. To inhibit the
growth of scar tissue and widen the vessel, radiation therapy may occasionally
be administered through a catheter positioned close to the scar tissue.
Brachytherapy is the term used for this.
Reason for Angioplasty
When
the constricted artery is in a location that can be reached in this way, angioplasty
is performed to restore coronary artery blood flow. Angioplasty cannot be used
to treat all coronary artery disease (CAD). Depending on your circumstances,
your doctor will choose the best course of action for treating your CAD.
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