Coronary Angioplasty

Coronary angioplasty, also referred to as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), is a minimally invasive procedure used to increase blood flow through one or more arteries that have been narrowed and/or hardened by disease (arteriosclerosis). This is accomplished by threading a small catheter with a tiny balloon at the end up through the groin or arm to the location where the narrowing occurs. When the balloon is inflated, this pushes the material (plaque or scar material from a heart attack) against the arterial wall so that blood flow can resume. Following the procedure, the patient will need to remain laying down for a period of hours, and may remain in the hospital for one to two days prior to being discharged. Occasionally, narrowing of the coronary artery returns within three to six months of the procedure, and this is called restenosis. In this case, a second PTCA procedure may be undertaken to address the issue.