What is Angioplasty
By: Robert NamTotal Views: 137, Word Count: 560,
After bypass, angioplasty is the famous method to cure heart diseases. To understand the exact technique and use of angioplasty, let us know about it in detail.
What is Angioplasty?
Angioplasty is the technique of widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel, which is the result of diseases like atherosclerosis.
Process of Angioplasty
- During angioplasty, a balloon without air with a guide wire, known as a balloon catheter, is passed into the narrowed locations.
- After achieving the exact location, the balloon is blown to a fixed size. This is done by using water pressures at 6 to 20 atmospheres.
- This balloon after expanding crushes the fatty deposits present in the blood vessel which result into opening up the blood vessel for improved flow.
- After this process, the balloon is collapsed and withdrawn from the location.
Advantage of Angioplasty
Normally, hypertension, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol levels, diets with high saturated fats, and cardiovascular disease result in blockages of the arteries. Angioplasty helps to remove these blockages.
Types of Angioplasty
1. Peripheral Angioplasty
In peripheral angioplasty, the balloon is used to open a blood vessel present outside the coronary arteries. It is commonly used to treat atherosclerotic contraction of the abdomen, renal arteries and leg.
2. Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
It is commonly known as coronary angioplasty. In this processes, the narrowed coronary arteries of the heart is treated. Treatment with this reduces chest pain.
3. Renal Artery Angioplasty
This is angioplasty of the renal artery which avoids hypertension and loss of renal function.
4. Carotid Artery Angioplasty
Angioplasty helps to treat carotid artery stenosis in high-risk patients.
Angioplasty Risks
Angioplasties are safer as compared to bypass surgery. According to statistics, less than 1% of people die from complications of angioplasty. But still there are some risk factors to be focused on. These are as follow:
- There are chances of dislodged clot which can cause a stroke in some circumstances.
- There is bleeding which result into catheter’s insertion.
- Kidney problems may occur because of iodine contrast dye used for the X-ray. So sometimes intravenous fluids and medications are given before and after the procedure to reduce this risk.
- Irregular heartbeat
- Allergic reaction to the dye used can occur during angioplasty
- Myocardial infarction results in 3 - 5% of the cases
- Restenosis is the most dangerous complication of angioplasties. It is a gradual re-narrowing of the blood vessels in next several weeks or months after the angioplasty.
- Blood clots can form within some hours or months after angioplasty and cause myocardial infarction.
9. Patients older than 75 years, patients suffering from diabetes or kidney disease and those with poor pumping function have more risk compared to others.
Thus, we can say that risks of angioplasty are relatively low as compared to its benefits.
About the Author
Dr. Robert Nam is a well known heart specialist and has done postgraduate training in cardiology at the national heart hospital, the London chest hospital and UCL hospital, London. He was also engaged in research at the national heart and lung institute. Nowadays he is working as a consultant cardiologist at UCL hospital, London.
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