A piece of blood vessel from the leg or chest is stitched above and below a blockage in an artery of the heart, restoring blood flow to the part of the heart fed by the blocked artery. More than one artery can be bypassed. Bypass surgery relieves symptoms, such as chest pain, but does not cure coronary heart disease. Atherectomy Cardiologists use drill-like tools threaded through a thin tube called a catheter to shave away and sometimes remove the fatty deposits blocking an artery.
Blood flow is restored.
However, new blockages develop in some patients. Angioplasty Another way to unblock an artery in the heart is Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty. A small tube containing a balloon- like device is inserted into the blocked area and the balloon is inflated. It compresses the plaque against the artery wall. Angioplasty may accompany atherectomy.