If either of these things happen, your heart might not get enough blood and you might have chest pain or a heart attack. In that case, you'll need heart surgery right away to create a bypass around the bad artery. There is also a chance of a fluid build-up in your lungs that could interfere with breathing. A blood clot could travel to your brain and cause a stroke, or lodge in a lung and disable it, or settle in an arm or leg and prevent the blood from reaching it. Your kidneys could also be affected.
Doctors watch closely for any sign of such problems.
Despite these dangers, if you don't have the angioplasty, your problem could get worse, eventually causing a heart attack. If you've been told to take aspirin daily, do not stop without asking first. If you are taking a blood thinner, you may need to stop 2 or 3 days before the angioplasty. Check with your doctor, however, before you stop taking this or any medicine. A dye will be used during the procedure to show up the parts of your heart better.