The immediate goal in treating coronary artery disease is to halt or at least slow its progress. Also, most patients can increase their exercise activity by a factor of two to three fold over a 6-week period 2 . While medicines do not eliminate the narrowing of arteries, they can help improve efficiency of the heart and reduce symptoms.
Most patients can increase their exercise activity.
Minimally Invasive Interventional Procedures Traditionally, the two most commonly performed procedures to unblock the blood vessels leading to the heart are angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery . In recent years, the implantation of stents has increased dramatically. When compared to surgical intervention, percutaneous procedures generally offer the potential for reduced risk, quicker recovery, and overall cost-effectiveness. Although, less invasive than surgery, these procedures are not without adverse outcome. There are also two relatively new treatments available with transmyocardial revascularization and intravascular radiotherapy .