Overview
Angioplasty is a medical procedure that is used to open up a narrow or blocked vessel close to the heart. It is clinically referred to as percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI. It usually involves the insertion of a tube into an artery in the wrist or groin. The tube is then threaded to the affected artery close to the heart. A balloon or stent (metal tube) is then finally inserted to open the artery. According to the American College of Cardiology, doctors perform over 1.2 million angioplasties a year in the United States of America.
In this article, we will discuss the types, procedure details, recovery, and other important things to note about angioplasty.