Angioplasty . Procedure to restore blood flow through the artery. If you have coronary artery disease , the arteries in your heart are narrow or blocked by a sticky material called plaque .
Process
The doctor inserts a thin tube through a blood vessel from the arm or groin to the affected area of the artery . The tube has a small balloon on one end. When the tube is in place, the doctor inflates the balloon to push the plate out against the artery wall. This widens the artery and restores blood flow.
Applications
Doctors can use angioplasty to:
- Decrease chest pain caused by decreased blood flow to the heart.
- Minimize the risk that the heart muscle will have a heart attack.
Every year more than a million people in the United States have coronary angioplasty
