More than 13 million Americans have coronary artery disease - a condition which affects the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. For many, this is due to atherosclerosis, a disease in which fatty deposits or plaques gradually develop on the inner walls of the coronary arteries, progressively narrowing what were once open channels. In most cases of coronary artery disease, doctors first recommend changes in lifestyle and medicines to alleviate symptoms. However, when these measures are not successful, or if the disease is too severe, angioplasty, coronary artery bypass surgery or other procedures are usually recommended to enhance or prolong life. Mayo cardiologists are using two of the newest non-surgical and surgical techniques to treat patients with coronary artery disease.
Most stents resemble the wire spring of a ballpoint pen.
In fact, about 400,000 balloon angioplasty procedures are performed annually in the United States. After injection of a local anesthetic, physicians pass a catheter with a tiny deflated balloon at its tip through a large artery in the groin or in some cases, in the arm. From there, it is threaded into the blocked coronary artery. The balloon is positioned at the site of the blockage, and then slowly inflated to press the blockage aside. A stent is then positioned inside the artery.