Interventional Procedures
A diagnostic cardiac Catheterization, also called coronary angiography or heart catheterization, is a procedure that provides detailed information about the function of the heart and its arteries. By combining that information from blood tests and other diagnostic tests with a cardiac catheterization procedure, your doctor can accurately diagnose a heart condition and the most effective treatment plan.
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), or balloon angioplasty, is a procedure used to open narrowed coronary arteries. It is performed with a local anesthesia while the patient is awake. Patients whose angina has not been relieved by medications are generally the best candidates for PTCA. There are several other commonly used treatments for opening blocked arteries such as the Rotoblator procedure (tiny rotating blades) or Atherectomies (cutters) to cut away plaque buildup on the artery walls, or Stents (a little metal "scaffold") that widens obstructed arteries.
Peripheral angioplasty is performed much like that of PCTA or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, but to open blocked arteries or remove blood clots in the patient's legs.
The Stent is a stainless steel device (scaffold) which compresses the plaque, much like in the coronary balloon angioplasty procedure. It is implanted by guiding a thin, balloon-tipped catheter through the artery to the blockage. The collapsed stent is part of the catheter tip, and when the balloon is inflated the stent expands into place allowing the flow of blood once again through the coronary arteries. After a couple of weeks tissue forms around the stent and it becomes a permanent support for the artery.
The rotoblator is a procedure used to clear blocked arteries. Your doctor guides a thin catheter through the artery to the blocked area. The catheter contains a small, specially designed, rotating blade which chips off hard plaque buildup on the artery walls. The chips of plaque are then small enough to be absorbed and expelled into the blood stream. The atherectomy procedure is similar however it contains a cutter which shaves the plaque away from the artery wall. The plaque is then removed through the catheter. Both procedures are used to effectively clear blocked arteries.
