The procedure of coronary angioplasty has been in increasing use for the relief of angina since it was introduced some 15 years ago.
It is really an extension of a cardiac catheterisation, which must be
performed first. If this has shown a narrowing in the artery through which a
wire can be threated, a special catheter with a balloon at its tip is positioned
in the narrowed area. The balloon is then inflated so that it squashes the
tissue causing the narrowing thereby widening the artery. This is usually
successful, but occasionally it can cause a blockage in the artery,
necessitating immediate surgery. Sometimes the widened artery can narrow
again over the next six months; if necessary, a repeat angioplasty can be
done.
Angioplasty often requires only a day in hospital, and normal activities
can be returned to within a few days.