Coronary angioplasty is a surgical
procedure that is used to treat coronary artery disease by
opening up blocked, or narrowed, coronary arteries. It is a fairly
straightforward procedure with about 45,000 angioplasties being
carried out in the UK every year.
If you are referred to us for a coronary
angiolplasty you will be treated by the Cardiology team.
What does the treatment involve?
Coronary angioplasty is carried out using a local anaesthetic to
numb the area being treated. You may also be given a sedative to
make you feel more relaxed and sleepy.
During the procedure, a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) is
inserted through an artery, usually in your arm or groin, which
leads to your heart. The surgeon will use an xray
machine that shows images of the inside of your body, to guide the
catheter into the right place.
Once the catheter is in place, another thinner tube with a
tiny, deflated balloon on the end is passed through it and into the
artery being treated. A stent (a short piece of
stainless-steel mesh tubing) is placed over the balloon, and is
used to widen the artery so that the blood can flow through it more
freely.
When the balloon reaches the site of the atheroma (fatty
deposit), it is inflated which opens the stent, and squashes the
fatty deposit against the artery wall. As the balloon is
inflated, the blood flow will be briefly interrupted, and you
may feel a slight pain in your chest. However, this usually eases
when the balloon is deflated. After the balloon has been deflated
and removed, the open stent remains in the artery.
During the coronary angioplasty procedure, you will not be
able to feel the catheter inside your artery. However, you may
feel an occasional missed, or extra heartbeat, which is completely
normal. Your heartbeat will be monitored throughout the procedure
using an electrocardiograph (ECG) machine.
Before the catheter is removed, an angiogram is usually
carried out to check that the artery has opened up. Once the
procedure is complete, a pressure dressing may be applied to you
arm, or groin, to help seal the artery. Stitches are not normally
required.
In the past, coronary angioplasties were carried out without
using stents. However, 'stenting' has now become a routine
procedure and stents are usually used unless the artery being
treated is too narrow.
Related wards and clinics
The Cardiology team operates in clinics in:
- Reading
- Wallingford
- Newbury
- Henley
If you need to stay in hospital you will be
admitted to either the