Coronary Balloon Angioplasty
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Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona
General Cardiology & Vascular Medicine located in Phoenix, Goodyear, Chandler, & Maricopa, AZ
Coronary artery disease (CAD) causes your arteries to narrow to a point where your heart struggles to pump blood around your body in sufficient volume. At Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona, the experienced team members use advanced procedures like coronary balloon angioplasty to widen the arteries in your heart and improve blood flow, potentially preventing a heart attack. If you need to undergo coronary balloon angioplasty, there's not a more experienced team in the region than Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona. Call one of their offices at Phoenix, Maricopa, Goodyear, or Chandler, Arizona, or book an appointment online today.
Coronary Balloon Angioplasty
What is coronary balloon angioplasty?
Angioplasty is a non-surgical procedure that opens up blocked arteries and restores normal blood flow through your heart.
To perform coronary balloon angioplasty, your provider at Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona anesthetizes the skin over an artery in your groin or sometimes the arm. They then insert a tiny tube called a catheter into the blood vessel using image guidance technology.
The catheter follows the path of your arterial system until it reaches the affected section of the coronary artery. At the end of the catheter, your provider inflates a small balloon to widen the blood vessel. They may also fit a special tube called a stent into the treated artery to keep it open.
Why might I need to undergo coronary balloon angioplasty?
You might benefit from coronary balloon angioplasty if you have coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is a condition that causes narrowing of the heart's arteries due to atherosclerosis – a build-up of plaque on the artery walls.
Plaque consists mainly of excess cholesterol with small amounts of calcium and other substances. It forms a sticky coating that takes up space in your arteries and restricts blood flow, and may, in time, result in heart failure and heart attack.
The team at Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona uses coronary balloon angioplasty to widen the artery by squashing the plaque with the balloon.
What part does stenting play in coronary balloon angioplasty?
A stent is a small, expandable mesh tube that your provider inserts in the artery to stop it from collapsing. The stent is at the tip of the catheter when your provider inflates the balloon, so it expands into place and helps compress the plaque.
There are two types of stents. One is a bare-metal stent; the other is a drug-eluting stent with a coating of medicine on it to help keep the artery open after your coronary balloon angioplasty.
Find out how coronary balloon angioplasty could improve your health and reduce the risk of heart attack by contacting Affiliated Cardiologists of Arizona. Call the office nearest you or book an appointment online today.