Heart Balloon Procedures

According to the Texas Heart Institute, coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease in the United States. It is caused by a condition known as atherosclerosis, where there is accumulation of fatty substances, cholesterol, blood clotting material called fibrin and calcium on the walls of blood vessels or arteries leading to the heart. All of these substances form a material known as plaque, and this material causes a narrowing in the arteries that lead to the heart. When the arteries to the heart become narrow, blood supply to the heart is reduced, and if the arteries eventually get blocked, a heart attack may occur. This condition can be treated surgically through balloon procedures.

Balloon Angioplasty

• Balloon angioplasty is a procedure used to increase the space in a blood vessel so it can carry more oxygen-rich blood to the heart. It involves inserting a balloon tipped catheter into a constricted artery and then inflating it to flatten the plaque causing the blockage. The balloon may be deflated and re-inflated several times to achieve a wider opening in the artery.

Stent

• A stent is a small mesh like metal device that is inserted into a blocked blood vessel to keep it open and thus increase blood flow through it. It is inserted into the blood vessel via a balloon-tipped catheter with the stent positioned around the balloon. When the blocked artery is reached, the balloon is inflated and the mesh expands in the process. The catheter and balloon are removed while the stent remains in place to keep the blood vessel open.

Medications

• After a balloon angioplasty or stent placement, a person will be put on an aspirin regimen for the rest of his life. Antiplatelet or anticoagulant medication is prescribed for patients who undergo a stent placement for a year.