Angioplasty and Stents

Angioplasty involves inflating a specially designed balloon inside of an artery to open up a blockage. It may be used in conjunction with stenting of the artery. A stent is a small metal tube used to keep an arterial blockage open after angioplasty. Arteries carry blood throughout the body, and when one of the walls is weakened or the artery is narrowed due to the buildup of plaque, angioplasty can be performed and a stent can be inserted to open up the blocked artery and improve blood flow.

Typically, a catheter is inserted through an incision in the groin and threaded through the cardiovascular system to the site of the blockage. When the stent has reached the artery, a balloon is inflated to create space in the artery and the stent is put in place to keep the artery open.