EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Angioplasty is a procedure to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. These blood vessels are called the coronary arteries. A coronary artery stent is a small, metal mesh tube that expands inside a coronary artery. A stent is often placed during or immediately after angioplasty.

Detailed explanation-2: -The term “angioplasty” means using a balloon to stretch open a narrowed or blocked artery. However, most modern angioplasty procedures also involve inserting a short wire mesh tube, called a stent, into the artery during the procedure. The stent is left in place permanently to allow blood to flow more freely.

Detailed explanation-3: -Experimental and human pathologic studies have confirmed that angioplasty enlarges the lumen by stretching the vessel wall. Often this stretching process causes plaque fracture due to inelastic components of the atheroma. Denudation of the endothelium is also a consistent observation.

Detailed explanation-4: -Angiography is a procedure that allows doctors to look at blood vessels in great detail using X-rays. If the doctors identify a narrowed portion (stenosis) of a blood vessel during the angiography procedure, they may stretch or widen it straightaway using a procedure called an angioplasty.

Detailed explanation-5: -Balloon Angioplasty – Here an inflatable balloon is placed in the target artery/arteries. Stent Angioplasty – Here the doctor would place a stent in the area where the plaque is blocking the artery thus restoring normal blood flow. 28-Feb-2020