In atherosclerosis, the inner wall of an artery is thickened and made rough by fatty deposits or plaques. Coronary angioplasty is one method to treat atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries. Coronary angioplasty is a procedure that helps to open up narrow or blocked arteries by expanding or dilating the narrowed artery. A special catheter is inserted into the narrowed coronary artery. A balloon at the tip of the catheter is then inflated, expanding the artery.
Blood can then flow more easily through the opened artery.
A newer method of angioplasty uses a coronary stent to open up the coronary arteries. A coronary stent is an expandable mesh tube, made of a high quality stainless steel. The stent is placed over the same type of balloon used for angioplasty. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands and is pressed into the artery wall. The balloon is then deflated and removed while the stent remains permanently in place, keeping the artery wide open.