What is an Angioplasty?

The Angioplasty (also called PTCA) and the placement of a vascular stent is minimum invasie procedure, carried out by an interventionist cardiologist to improve the flow of blood in the arteries of the body. In the angioplasty, the doctor guides a catheter with a balloon to the narrowed artery or obstruction; this balloon fills out to open the artery, and then it is deflated to take it out of the artery. The placement of a vascular stent is often performed at same time of the angioplasty, stenting is the placement of a tube of wire mesh (stent) in the recently open artery. This procedure can be necessary after some angioplasties if the artery was very narrowed or completely obstructed, libearation drug stents are used if the patient suffers of diabetes, the one that avoids the formation of new plaque. The stent is a permanent device that is leaved in the artery to help it stay open after the angioplasty. Stenting the Angioplasty and the placement of a vascular stent are commonly used in illnesses that arise when the arteries of the body are narrowed or are osbtructed: - Coronary illness (narrowing of the arteries of the heart). - Peripheral vascular illness (PVI) or peripheral artetial illness (narrowing of the arteries of the legs or the arms). - Renal vascular hypertension (high arterial pressure caused by a narrowing of the renal arteries). - Illness of the carotid artery (narrowing of the arteries of the neck that give blood to the brain).