A method of treating blockage or narrowing of a blood vessel by recanalising the vessel – that is, inserting a balloon into the constriction to reopen it. The technique is used to treat a narrowed artery in the heart or a limb. About 65 per cent of patients treated bene?t, but when symptoms persist or recur the procedure may be repeated. There is a small risk of damage to the vessel or valve. New procedures under development include the use of lasers, cutting drills and suction to remove the deposits of ATHEROMA blocking the arteries.
n. repair or reconstruction of a narrowed or completely obstructed blood vessel. Traditionally, this was performed during open surgery, but in modern practice angioplasty commonly refers to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA; balloon angioplasty), in which an inflatable balloon, mounted on the tip of a flexible catheter, is placed within the lumen of the affected vessel at the site of the narrowing/blockage, under X-ray control. On inflation of the balloon the lumen is reopened with varying rates of success. A vascular stent may be required if the results are suboptimal. Common sites for PTA are coronary, carotid, renal, and leg arteries. See also coronary angioplasty.
Health Encyclopedia