Your heart has 3 major blood vessels called coronary arteries. The blood from these arteries supplies the heart muscle with the oxygen and nutrients that it needs to function properly. Normally the inner walls of the coronary arteries are smooth so that the blood can flow easily to the heart muscle. The coronary arteries may be affected by atherosclerosis . 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.