What is angioplasty?

You must have heard that the arteries get clogged. This happens because fatty substance known as plaque get attached to the walls of the arteries. Such a condition is known as atherosclerosis. When these fat depositions take place inside the artery, obviously the artery narrows down and hence blood flow through the same is restricted.

When the coronary arteries are affected by plaque depositions, it leads to coronary heart disease, which is a very serious health condition. The deposition of plaques in the arteries is highly threatening because these arteries are responsible for supplying the heart with fresh, oxygenated blood. The heart’s function gets impaired when it does not get a proper blood supply.

Angioplasty is a procedure of removal of these blocks by stent placement.

Who Needs Angioplasty?

• Patients with Acute Heart Attack.
• Patients with chest pain (Angina) or Breathlessness having blockages of more than 70% in their coronary arteries.

 What are the preparations needed for angioplasty?

Usually when one is advised to undergo angioplasty in coronary arteries due to heart attack or other emergency coronary heart disease, practically there is no time to prepare. However, if the procedure is planned with plenty of time in hand, there are many preparations which need to be taken in that case. Some of them are as follows:

Inform the doctor about all the medicines that you are taking.

Inform the doctor of any kind of ailment you have, it might be simple cold and flu.

Angiography is done either by hand or from the thigh (groin).

What is the process followed in angioplasty?

If you thought that angioplasty involves huge cuts and incisions on the body, you are mistaken. It is a minimally invasive procedure and hence the recovery time is very short. Mentioned below are the steps which take place during the procedure:

A puncture is made in the wrist or groin area so that an artery can be accessed.

Through the puncture, a thin and highly flexible tube known as a catheter is inserted gradually and slowly.

The cardiologist will then guide the catheter in such a manner that it reaches the coronary arteries. Once that is done, the cardiologist gets a clear view of the arteries. This is possible with the help of a kind of X-ray known as fluoroscopy.  A kind of special dye is also used during the procedure.

A small wire is passed through the catheter by the cardiologist. The guide wire is then followed by a second catheter. This catheter has a small balloon, which is attached to it.

When the balloons come across the blocked artery, the cardiologist inflates the balloon.

The stent is inserted after the balloon, so that the artery remains open and the blood flow through the artery is resumed. Once the stent is believed to be secure, the catheter is removed cautiously and the stent remains in place, ensuring that the flow of blood is maintained well.

What are the different types of stents available?

• Non medicated or bare metal stents.
• Drug coated stents.

There are some stents, which have medication coating on them and the medicine slowly gets released into the artery. These are known as “drug eluting stents (DES)”. The purpose of these stents is helping in fighting fibrosis. In many patients bare metal stents, which are not coated in medicine are also used.

Post Angioplasty Care

Initially, there might be soreness at the puncture site. Depending upon the site from clothing where the angioplasty is performed first is advised to take rest for 24 hours atleast monitored in ICCU. Patient is usually fit for discharge in 24-48 hours.

On returning home, it is recommended to follow the instruction given at the time of discharge.

It is true that with angioplasty and stent placement, your life is saved from grave mishap. But it is important that proper lifestyle changes are maintained and followed for improving heart health. Eating a balanced diet, exercising a little and quitting smoking and drinking are highly recommended.

Are there any kinds of risks which are associated with angioplasty?

Angioplasty is a surgical procedures and all surgical processes have risk factors associated to the same. Since the procedure is involved with arteries and the heart, the risk of adverse effects gets enhanced manifold times.

Some of the risks which are associated with the process include:

Breathing problems

Any kind of allergic reaction to the dye or medication

Formation of blood clot inside the stent under its sudden blockage

Bleeding from the puncture site leading to hematoma formation

An infection at the puncture site

Heart attack

Kidney failure

The risk of doing the procedure in clearly indicated cases is less as compared to benefits of doing it in long run.