Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty - What Should You Know?

Angioplasty is a medical procedure used to restore blood flow in the arteries. It allows the blood to flow easily by treating the blocked arteries. Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty or PTCA is used to unblock coronary arteries and to reinstate smooth arterial blood circulation to the heart tissues. This can avoid the treatment of heart condition through open-heart surgery.

Usually, CAD or Coronary Artery Disease and Atherosclerosis are treated with Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty or PTCA. CAD is caused when the arteries in the heart get blocked, which may lead to congestive heart failure, angina or heart attack. Atherosclerosis is a progressive condition in which plaque is developed and accumulated in the inner layer which leads to artery losing its elasticity and making the wall of artery thick.

Procedure

A long hollow tube called a catheter with a small balloon at its tip is introduced inside the blocked coronary artery. The balloon is inflated after catheter has been placed into the blocked part of the coronary artery. The inflation of the balloon helps compress the fatty tissues in the artery. This forms a sizeable opening for better blood flow inside the treated artery. There are several other procedures that one might need to go through depending upon various factors, such as severity and other health issues. A special kind of X-ray, known as Fluoroscopy, is used to help the doctor locate the blockage in the coronary artery with the movement of contrast dye in the artery. Biopsy may also be performed to get a small sample of heart tissue to be tested later for any abnormality.

IVUS or Intravascular Ultrasound is used to help visualize and measure the inside of the blood vessels. This may help the surgeon to decide the most suitable balloon size and/or stents to ensure if it is correctly opened or to access other angioplasty instruments. IVUS includes a computer and a transducer which uses ultrasonic sound waves to develop images of blood vessels. Surgeon will go through a detailed examination to establish if there’s a need of performing PTCA. There might be a need of Atherectomy or to remove plaque at the location of a narrowed or blocked artery.

Takeaway

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty or PTCA is a medical procedure to unblock the coronary artery which helps in improving the flow of blood to the heart tissues. Usually, Atherosclerosis and CAD are treated using PTCA. The instruments and procedures are determined by the medical team depending on the severity of the condition. The procedure is not very complicated, but the recovery depends upon the severity and the outcome of the procedure. It is a safe procedure and one can continue his/her usual life routine once completely recovered.