Heart Hospital Riverside Performs Angioplasty
Cardiologists at any heart hospital Riverside may catheterize the coronary arteries for multiple reasons. For instance, cardiologists may want to locate patches of atherosclerosis, or to monitor blood flow in coronary arteries. Doctors will use the catheter to perform a procedure called angioplasty with stenting, if they find a fatty plaque disrupting blood flow in coronary arteries.
Doctors place catheters in a blood vessel of the arm or leg. The catheter is then threaded through the blood vessels, until it reaches the coronary arteries. In angioplasty, a balloon, which is passed through the catheter, is inflated, pressing fatty deposits against the wall of the artery. A tube, or stent, is usually left in place to keep the artery permanently open.
Patients may have an atherectomy in conjunction with angioplasty. During an atherectomy, a cutting device, or a laser, is used to remove fatty plaques, before being followed by an angioplasty and stenting. In many procedures, doctors utilize stents which are coated with medication, to more effectively prevent relapse.
Patients often find relief from shortness of breath, and chest pain, with angioplasty. In the midst of a heart attack, doctors will quickly open blockages in the arteries, utilizing angioplasty. However, some patients, such as those with narrowing of the main coronary artery, diabetes, or weak cardiovascular systems, may not be the right candidates for an angioplasty.
There are some risks associated with angioplasty. These risks include restenosis, which is a re-narrowing of treated arteries, and the formation of blood clots. To prevent clot formation, patients must take aspirin or other blood thinners, as prescribed by their doctors.
Patients who have angioplasty should expect a period of bed rest, and a hospital stay of one or two days. However, compared to coronary bypass surgery, recovery time is less painful, and shorter, for patients who have angioplasty. For expert angioplasty and stenting, patients should check into a heart hospital Riverside, and seek care from their experienced medical team.
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