When an artery becomes narrowed or blocked, the tissues to which that artery goes do not get enough oxygen. A blocked artery to the heart can cause a heart attack. Using X-rays to view the catheter, he then guides the balloon to the area of the blockage. The balloon inflates to stretch out the artery and improve blood flow through the area. Once the vessel wall is expanded, the catheter is withdrawn and the procedure is finished.
Patients usually remain awake during the procedure.
Placing these stainless steel cylinders in blood vessels during angioplasty may reduce the need for bypass surgery later by keeping the vessels propped open. The American Heart Association estimates that nearly 700,000 angioplasties will be performed this year in the United States to open clogged blood vessels. Now, when I perform a diagnostic catheterization and find a blockage, I can go right back in with a balloon to fix the problem. We won't have to transfer the patient to St. Louis for angioplasty. We can now take care of patients right here.