You may have heard of a relatively new technique called Balloon
Angioplasty which can be used in some coronary patients. This technique
involves the passage of a long fine catheter tube into an artery in the groin
and advancing the tip of the catheter tube into the narrowed part of the
coronary artery. When correctly positioned (shown by X-ray), the balloon at
the tip of the catheter is inflated at high pressure, opening up the narrowed
area in the coronary artery. Angioplasty techniques are presently suitable for
only a minority of patients with coronary artery disease. If your case is
suitable, this approach will be advised by the cardiologist, instead of
referring you for coronary surgery.