Percutaneous Corornary Interventions (PCI/PTCA/Angioplasty/Balloon Angioplasty): Angioplasty opens blocked arteries and restores normal blood flow to your heart muscle that has become clogged from a build up of cholesterol, cells or other substances.
A catheter tube is threaded through the arterial system via a small insertion in the groin or arm until it reaches the coronary (heart) artery. A very thin wire is threaded across the blockage. Over this wire, a catheter with a thin, expandable balloon on the end is passed to the blockage. The balloon is inflated, which compresses the plaque and dilates the artery. A stent (wire mesh tube) may be locked into position to keep the artery open so that your heart will receive the blood it needs.
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