What is an angioplasty?

Answer 1

Essentially a long tube is inserted into an artery which leads to the heart. When it reaches the narrowing or partial blockage in the artery, which is creating a problem, a tiny 'balloon' at the end of the tube is inflated. This serves the purpose of pushing the walls of the artery further apart, to increase the diameter. The inflated 'balloon' also stretches a cylindrical structure made of metal mesh, which is located at the tip of the tube. The 'balloon' is then deflated and is removed along with the tube that it is attached to. The wire mesh structure, known as a stent, is left behind. The stent acts as a sort of miniature 'scaffold' which helps the to prevent the artery from narrowing again.

Answer 2

An angiogram, is a imaging procedure used to view the body's blood vessels. It is also called an arteriogram. It is done by injecting a dye which causes the veins to become visible on x-ray images. Often times it is used to study enlarged, blocked, or narrow blood vessels.

Answer 3

An angioplasty is a medical procedure where a wire with a deflated balloon is guided into a clogged blood vessel and then inflated in order to crush all the fatty deposits in the blood vessel. Often, the balloon is removed afterwards.

Answer 4

Angioplasty is the surgical repair of a blood vessel, either by inserting a balloon-tipped catheter to unblock it, or by reconstructing or replacing part of the vessel.

Answer 5

An angiogram is an x-ray of the blood flow of arteries and veins throughout the body.