Coronary Artery Disease: Angioplasty and Bypass Surgery
What are angioplasty and stent procedures?
Coronary angioplasty balloon is often used to clear clogged arteries. This procedure involves inserting a catheter (thin tube) into an artery in the arm or groin, and inserts by narrowed arteries of the heart. The catheter has a tiny balloon at the tip and it is inflated and deflated several times to open and expand the artery, improving blood flow.
The tube is removed and often place a stent (a small tube of wire mesh) to keep the artery open after angioplasty was performed. The stent remains permanently in the artery. There are other procedures that are sometimes used to open arteries. However, none of these procedures is a cure for coronary artery disease and the possibility of recurrence of obstruction.
What is bypass surgery of the coronary arteries?
Surgery for coronary artery revascularization (surgery or “bypass”) is an operation to bring blood to the heart. To carry it out, takes a blood vessel from another part of the body and then attached to each end (bypass) the narrowed artery. You can make a referral for each blocked artery. Bypass surgery can reduce pain in the chest and the risk of a heart attack. However, revascularization can also become blocked. This occurs in more than 10 percent of bypass surgeries, usually after 10 years or more.
Bypass surgery may be needed due to various reasons, such as angioplasty not sufficiently enlarged blood vessels or obstructions that can not be treated by angioplasty. It may be preferred bypass surgery in certain cases. For example, can be used in people who have had coronary artery disease and diabetes.