Angioplasty and Stent Procedures

Coronary or balloon angioplasty is often used to open blocked arteries. In this procedure, a catheter (a thin tube) is inserted into a forearm or groin artery and threaded into the narrowed heart artery. The catheter has a tiny balloon at its tip that is repeatedly inflated and deflated to open and stretch the artery, improving blood flow. The tube is removed and often a stent (a small metal mesh tube) is put in to keep an artery open after an angioplasty. The stent stays permanently in the artery. There are other procedures sometimes used to open the arteries. However, none of these procedures results in a cure for coronary artery disease and there is a chance that the blockage could return.