Essay On Angioplasty

Angioplasty procedure (Rough Draft) In 1977, Dr. Andreas Gruentzig who is a German cardiologist began a revolution in the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) by performing the first angioplasty procedure as an alternative for bypass procedure1. Angioplasty or Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is a non-surgical procedure that is used to open blocked or narrowed blood vessels due to the buildup of plaque, a condition called atherosclerosis, it mechanically enhances the flow of the blood to the heart. Also, angioplasty improves the symptoms of CAD, such as chest pain ( angina ) and short breath. Moreover, PCI is used to rapidly open a blocked artery during a heart attack to minimize the damage to the heart. Although this procedure is more commonly used nowadays than bypass procedure, there are some risk factors and complications that could arise before, during, and after the

Angioplasty starts just like angiogram, and it takes many steps. First, the patient will be injected with local anesthetic where the catheter will be inserted. Then the doctor will make a puncture in the skin using a needle to insert the catheter into the blood vessels under x-ray image control. Angioplasty is usually preformed through the artery in the groin ( upper thigh), but it could be preformed through the arteries in the wrist or the arm. When the catheter reaches the heart, a liquid dye that is visible in x-ray picture is released so that the blocked area could be visualized. After the blocked area is identified, a small balloon tip with stent (small wire mesh tube) is advanced though the narrowed area. Once in place, the balloon is inflated and the stent is expanded squashing the plaque and widening the narrowed artery. Then the balloon is deflated and withdrawn leaving the stent in place. The purpose of transplant the stent is to prevent the re-narrowing of the artery after angioplasty