Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) encompasses a variety of procedures used to treat patients with diseased arteries of the heart, for example, chest pain caused by a build-up of fats, cholesterol, and other substances from the blood (referred to as plaque) that can reduce blood flow to a near trickle, or a heart attack caused by a large blood clot that completely blocks the artery.
Coronary angioplasty is a medical procedure used to restore blood flow through a narrowed or blocked artery in the heart. The arteries of the heart (the coronary arteries) can become narrowed and blocked due to buildup of a material called plaque on their inner walls. This narrowing reduces the flow of blood through the artery and can lead, over time, to coronary artery disease and heart attack. In angioplasty, a thin tube with a balloon or other device on the end is first threaded through a blood vessel in the arm or groin (upper thigh) up to the site of a narrowing or blockage in a coronary artery. Once in place, the balloon is then inflated to push the plaque outward against the wall of the artery, widening the artery and restoring the flow of blood through it.
Angioplasty is used to:
oRelieve chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart.
oMinimize damage to the heart muscle during a heart attack. This damage occurs when blood flow is totally cut off to an area of the heart.
Angioplasty was first used in 1977. A tiny balloon was used to open or widen narrowed arteries. Since then, new devices and medicines have improved the procedure and made it appropriate for more people. The improvements include:
oStents. A stent is a tiny mesh tube that looks like a small spring. The stent is inserted in the area where the artery is narrowed to keep it open. Some stents are "coated" with medication to help prevent the artery from closing again. Stents are used in most angioplasties except when an artery is too small for a stent to fit.
oWhen a stent is used, in 2 out of 10 people the artery will close again within the first 6 months.
oWhen a stent is not used, in 4 out of 10 people the artery will close again within the first 6 months.
oPlaque removers. Many kinds of plaque removers exist. They are used to cut away plaque that narrows the inside of the arteries.
oLaser. A laser is used to dissolve or vaporize plaque. First approved in 1992, laser devices are used in many major U.S. medical centers.
Research on angioplasty continues to:
oIncrease its safety
oPrevent the artery from closing again
oMake it an option for more people
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