A coronary angioplasty is a surgical procedure that is used to widen blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. Coronary angioplasty is sometimes known as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
The coronary arteries
Like all organs in the body, the heart needs a constant supply of blood. This is supplied by two large blood vessels called the left and the right coronary arteries. In older people, these arteries can become narrowed and hardened.
Hardening of the coronary arteries can result in angina. Angina is a syndrome (a collection of symptoms caused by an underlying health condition) that is caused when the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart becomes restricted.
The most common symptom of angina is chest pain, which is usually triggered by physical activity. While many cases of angina can be treated with medication, severe symptoms of angina may require a coronary angioplasty to restore the blood supply to the heart.
Coronary angioplasties are also often used as an as emergency treatment following a heart attack.
Stents
Angioplasty involves using a catheter (a flexible tube) to insert a stent into the coronary artery. A stent is a short, hollow metal tube.
A small balloon is inflated to open the stent, which pushes against the artery walls. This widens the artery, squashing fatty plaques against the artery wall so that blood can flow through it more freely.
See How it is performed for more information about stents.
How common are coronary angioplasties?
Coronary angioplasties are one of the most common types of heart surgery. An estimated 50,000 procedures are performed in England each year.
Due to the associated risk factors for angina, coronary angioplasties are most commonly performed in people who are 65 years of age or older.
Safety
As with all surgical procedures, a coronary angioplasty carries the risk of complications, such as post-operative infection or bleeding.
Serious complications, such as a blood clot or heart attack, are uncommon and occur in an estimated 1 in 100 cases.
