Inpatient Cardiology Services
Coronary Angioplasty
In recent years, the intervention most frequently carried out in the treatment of coronary heart disease is Coronary Angioplasty, or Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) to give it its full technical name.
In Scotland, the number of people discharged following PCTA has risen from 1941 in 1998 to 5779 in 2007.The procedure involves passing a long, thin, hollow tube or 'catheter' up into the coronary arteries, under x-ray guidance, from an artery in the groin or arm (under local anaesthetic.) A device on the tube is then used to unblock the artery, and stretch the artery walls so that more blood and oxygen can flow to the heart muscle.
Angioplasty may be recommended if angina cannot be controlled with drugs, if angina is limiting a person's life, or when a person gets angina just sitting in a chair at rest.
PCTA may also be performed as an emergency procedure when someone is having a heart attack. If carried out soon enough it can open the blocked coronary artery before permanent damage is done to the heart muscle. However, as the procedure can only be performed in a specialist hospital, it's not an option for most people having a heart attack.
Balloon angioplasty was the first type of angioplasty, using a small, sausage-shaped balloon on the end of the catheter. The balloon is inflated in the blocked artery, compressing the fatty build-up (atheroma) against the artery walls. The cardiologist then deflates the balloon and removes it.
Another common type of angioplasty involves inserting a short stainless steel mesh tube, called a stent, at the same time as the balloon. As the balloon is deflated, the expanded stent is left in place to help keep the artery open.
This method helps to prevent the problem of reblockage (restenosis), which affects around a third of people following conventional balloon treatment.