Angioplasty and Stenting

What is it?

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) with stent implant is a procedure used to restore myocardial perfusion altered by blood flow obstructions due to coronary disease. It is performed by interventional cardiologists through arterial access using a thin catheter that carries a small balloon at the tip. This catheter reaches the artery obstruction at which point the balloon is inflated to compress the plaque against the artery wall. The stent is a tubular metal mesh implanted within the coronary artery and it acts as a support or scaffold to maintain the blood vessel open, thereby improving blood flow to the heart muscle and reducing the pain of angina pectoris. Stent implant procedures are usually done together with balloon angioplasty (about 80%).