Angioplasty: All You Need to Know about the Procedure!

Jon Lodha

A procedure to cure heart blockage, angioplasty has recently gained much attention among heart patients. It is a standard procedure to treat the accumulation of fat and cholesterol deposits on the arterial walls, blocking the heart’s blood supply. This surgery clears up any blockage, clots, or ruptures that may narrow the artery and hinder blood flow to the heart. It ensures normal heart rate and functioning by manually clearing up the clots.

It is the first line of treatment to restore the heart’s blood supply. Cardiologists suggest immediate surgery when your heart’s blood vessels become intensely hard or narrow, causing a heart attack. A blockage of more than 50% requires prompt surgery. Call your doctor if you experience a fluttering and racing heartbeat, unexplained weakness, weak pulse, or extreme shortness of breath, among other symptoms.

While the procedure differs in every case depending on the heart’s condition, a standard surgery includes preparing the patient, setting up apparatus, and getting local anaesthesia. The doctor inserts a tube in the right wrist into the artery. With the help of fluoroscopy, the surgeon directs the tube towards the blocked artery through your blood.

After reaching the desired area, they inject a colour-contrasting dye to view the narrowed artery. Later, the doctor inflates the balloon to unblock the plaque in the artery. They place an 

 in the right location of the blocked artery to keep the plaque aside from blocking blood flow. They deflate the balloon, pull out the catheter, and close the insertion points. The stent remains inside the arteries, helping the blood flow properly with specific drug coatings.

After completing the procedure, the patients remain under observation for up to two days to monitor their vitals. Doctors advise at least six to eight hours of rest before the 

 procedure. The precautions include minimal physical exertion, a healthy diet consumption, maintaining low cholesterol and hypertension, and other healthy lifestyle habits.

Before opting for surgery, heart patients should ask their surgeon the right questions, including the type of stent needed, blood tests required, list of allergic tests to undergo, medications required, and other concerns. The procedure takes a couple of hours and requires an overnight stay in the hospital. Recovery time is short. Discomfort around the chest usually improves quickly, and the effect lasts for a few years.

You might attend a cardiac rehabilitation program, or your cardiologist may advise you on recovering and building healthy habits such as eating right and exercising more. They also prescribe anti-platelet medicines to avoid another heart stroke after the procedure.

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