How to Increase Lumen Diameter

In medicine, the term “lumen” refers to the hollow interior of a blood vessel. The narrowing of these vessels is due to plaque buildup. In the case of the coronary arteries that supply oxygen and blood to the heart, this narrowing of the vessels is called coronary heart disease and is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. Some risk factors for CHD, including gender, age and genetics, cannot be changed. However, many risk factors can, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, drug abuse, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity. Treatment for CHD involves increasing the diameter of the lumen through surgery, medication or lifestyle changes.

Instructions

• 1

  Schedule an appointment with your doctor if you have any of the risk factors associated with CHD, or if you experience angina, a condition in which chest pain comes with exertion and goes away with rest.

• 2

  Agree to any tests your doctor wishes to perform to rule out or diagnose CHD. Common tests include an invasive X-ray of the coronary artery, called coronary angiography, and a noninvasive imaging procedure called a CT angiography. Electrocardiograms, exercise stress tests and MRIs are also widely used.

• 3

  Follow your doctor’s instructions carefully. If your tests were negative for CHD but your lifestyle puts you at risk for coronary heart disease, your doctor will give you advice on managing these risks. If your doctor diagnosed you with CHD, your lifestyle will be evaluated for changes that could decrease your risk of heart failure associated with CHD. Additionally, contributing factors to your CHD may be controlled with medications such as ACE inhibitors or beta blockers to lower blood pressure, statins or fibrates to lower cholesterol, aspirin to prevent blood clots, calcium channel blockers to reduce the strain on the heart and nitrates to stop chest pain. Be sure to take all medications exactly as prescribed. If your CHD is severe, you may be scheduled for surgery.

• 4

  Return to your doctor as scheduled. Your medication will be monitored for effectiveness and modified accordingly. If you are scheduled for surgery, you will likely have an angioplasty and stent placement or coronary bypass surgery. Angioplasty and stent placement involves threading a catheter with a balloon on the end through the coronary arteries and inflating the balloon to increase the lumen diameter. Stents may then be placed in the artery for structural support. Coronary bypass surgery will create a detour around a blocked portion of an artery using healthy vessels from other parts of your body.

• 5

  Follow your doctor’s instructions for recovery and follow-up care. Take all medications exactly as prescribed, attend your rehabilitation therapy as scheduled and make any lifestyle changes that will decrease further risk of CHD or heart failure. The prognosis for this disease is very good if you actively participate in your recovery. A positive attitude will help you view difficult lifestyle changes as a chance to improve your overall health and quality of life.