Angioplasty with Stent Placement
The most common endovascular therapy is a balloon angioplasty, in which a catheter is inserted through an artery (generally, in the groin) and guided to the place where the artery is narrowed.
When the tube reaches the narrowed artery, a small balloon at the end of the tube inflates for 20 seconds to 3 minutes. The pressure from the inflated balloon presses the fat and calcium (plaque) against the wall of the artery to improve blood flow.
Depending on which artery is being treated, a stent may be inserted during the angioplasty. A stent is a metallic mesh tube that is placed at the site of the narrowing to open the artery up and keep it open.
Sometimes a drug-eluting stent is used to help prevent blockage from reoccurring. Drug-eluting stents were developed to replace standard bare-metal stents, which occasionally caused scar tissue to form and narrow the artery again. Drug-eluting stents are coated with medications that prevent scar tissue from growing into the artery and thus are more effective in keeping the artery open
The complete procedure of angioplasty and stenting can take anywhere from 45 minutes to a few hours, depending on the individual patient.
Renal (Kidney) Angioplasty/Stent Placement
A renal angioplasty is a way of relieving a blockage in the renal artery, the main blood vessel to the kidney, without having an operation. A fine plastic tube, called a catheter, is inserted through a blockage in an artery, and a special balloon on the catheter is then inflated, to open up the blockage and allow more blood to flow through it. Kidney arteries often require the insertion of a tiny hollow tube called a stent to keep it open after the procedure.
Iliac and Femoral (Leg) Artery Angioplasty/Stent Placement
An iliac and femoral artery angioplasty is a way of relieving a blockage in the leg arteries without having an operation. A catheter is inserted through a blockage in an artery, and a special balloon on the catheter is then inflated, to open up the blockage and allow more blood to flow through it. Iliac and femoral arteries often require the insertion of a tiny hollow tube called a stent to keep them open after the procedure.
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