Coronary Angioplasty

CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY

Angioplasty is a surgical operation to open narrowed or blocked vessels (coronary arteries) that supply blood to the heart muscles.

A stent is often placed at some point of angioplasty. A stent is a small, metal mesh tube that when placed inside the artery expands to prevents the artery from closing up again.

A drug-eluting stent has embedded medication in it that enables prevent the artery from clogging again after stenting procedure.

Procedure Time

It takes 1-2hours

Anesthesia Type

Medication is given to patient to relax, then the doctor will give anesthesia to numb the region of catheter insertion.

Description

Before the angioplasty procedure begins, patient receives a few pain medications. Patient will also be given medication that relaxes him, and blood -thinning medicines to prevent a blood clot from forming.

Patient will lie on a padded table. Hismedical doctor will insert a flexible tube (catheter) into an artery. Sometimes the catheter might be placed on his arm or wrist, or his upper leg (groin) location. Patient could be awake all through the method.

The health practitioner will use stay x-ray images to cautiously guide the catheter up into his coronary heart and arteries. Liquid contrast (sometimes called "dye," might be injected into his body to highlight blood go with the flow through the arteries. This enables the health practitioner see any blockages inside the blood vessels that lead to his heart.

A guide wire is moved through the artery into and across the blockage. A balloon catheter is pushed over the manual cord and into the blockage. The balloon on the cease is blown up (inflated). This opens the blocked vessel and restores proper blood drift to the heart.

A cord mesh tube(stent) may additionally then be placed in this blocked area. The stent is inserted together with the balloon catheter. It expands when the balloon is inflated. The stent is left there to assist hold the artery open.

The stent can be covered with a drug (called a drug-eluting stent). This type of stent can also lower the threat of the artery last back up within the future. Currently, drug-eluting stents are used in positive situations.

Why Coronary Angioplasty is done

Arteries can turn out to be narrowed or blocked via deposits known as plaque. Plaque is made up of fats and LDL cholesterol that builds up on the inner of artery walls. This condition is referred as hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

Angioplasty may be used to treat:

1. Blockage in a coronary artery for the duration of or after a coronary heart attack

2. Blockage or narrowing of 1 or extra coronary arteries that may additionally lead to poor heart function(coronary heart failure)

3. Narrowings that reduce blood waft and cause persistent chest pain(angina) that drugs do no longer control

Not every blockage can be handled with angioplasty. Some people who've numerous blockages or blockages in sure locations may also need coronary by pass surgery.

Risks

Angioplasty is typically safe, however below given risks cannot be ruled out in some cases

1. Allergic reaction to the drug used in a drug-eluting stent, the stent material (very rare), or the x-ray dye
2. Bleeding or clotting within the region in which the catheter was inserted
3. Blood clot
4. Clogging of the internal of the stent (in-stent restenosis). This can be life-threatening.
5. Damage to a heart valves or blood vessels
6. Heart attack
7. Kidney failure (better threat in individuals who already have kidney problems)
8. Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias)
9. Stroke (that is rare)

After the Procedure

The average hospital stay is two days or less. Some people may not even have to stay overnight inside the hospital.

In general, people who've angioplasty are able to stroll around within a few hours after the method depending on how the system went and wherein the catheter turned into placed.

Complete healing takes a week or less.

Prognosis (Outlook)

For most people, angioplasty substantially improves blood flow through the coronary artery and the coronary heart. It may additionally help patient avoid the want for coronary artery bypass surgery(CABG).

Angioplasty does not treat core reasons of the blockage in the arteries. Patients may experience again the clogging of the arteries.

With correct diet, exercise, quitting smoking and positive lifestyle changes clogging of arteries can be prevented.

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