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Everything You Need To Know About The Angioplasty Procedure

Coronary Artery Disease, or CAD, is one of the most common risk factors for a heart attack. This condition is caused by the buildup of plaque deposits in your heart. As these deposits harden, they restrict blood flow to the cardiac muscle. If that flow is greatly reduced or completely cutoff, you will have a heart attack. In a nutshell, angioplasty is the procedure that prevents this life-threatening outcome.

A Procedural Map: How Angioplasty Works

One of the tell-tale signs of CAD is chest pain, but it is important to note that not all chest pain means that your are at risk for a heart attack. There are many different sources and causes for this symptom (over 300 of them have been recorded in medical journals), so it is important:

1. Not to panic

2. To see a cardiologist

Additionally, do not be surprised if the first steps taken by your cardiologist are simply to run tests and monitor the condition.

Depending on the severity of the arterial restriction, it can be corrected with lifestyle changes and medications. Assuming angioplasty is recommended, the procedure itself is pretty basic. The overall goal: restore healthy blood flow to the heart.

What To Expect

Unlike some cardiac surgeries; angioplasty does not need to be preformed by a surgeon. If your cardiologist has the right type of lab on site, the problem can be resolved within 24 hours.

After a review of your test results and the treatment protocol, you will be put under sedation. Using a special kind of  ballooned catheter, the cardiologist will trace the arterial pathway from your groin to your heart. Once the catheter reaches the affected area of the heart, the balloon is inflated. This pushes the plaque outward toward the artery wall and restores blood supply to the cardiac muscle. A stent is usually inserted to hold the arteries open and prevent further blockage.

The procedure will:

• Reduce or eliminate chest pain from the later stages of CAD.
• Minimize damage to the cardiac muscle during or after a heart attack.

There is a likelihood of heavier bleeding in the day following your procedure, so you will be kept overnight for observation. If all goes well, you can return to normal activity in a week.

Top Doctor for Angioplasty Procedure NYC

Dr. Seldon, a Heart Doctor and Cardiologist in New York City, offers same day appointments and all testing is done on site. Call us at (212) 367-8000.