Balloon angioplasty and stent placement are minimally invasive treatments used to re-establish healthy blood flow through an artery that has narrowed or is blocked due to atherosclerosis. Angioplasty can also be used to treat blocked veins to re-establish the venous blood flow returning to your heart. Athrectomy is the minimally invasive removal of plaque using a special instrument inserted through a small arterial puncture. Angioplasty, athrectomy and stenting can be used individually as "stand-alone" therapy or combined to achieve the best result. All three techniques are performed on an out-patient bases through a small arterial puncture and are very well tolerated by our patients. Once the procedure is completed most of our patients are discharged home immediately without the need for pain medications.
Healthy arteries are elastic, smooth and unobstructed allowing a free flow of oxygen rich blood to reach all the organs and extremities of the body. As you age, plaque can build up inside arterial restricting or even blocking this flow.
Vascular surgeons perform endovascular procedures as a much less invasive alternative to bypass surgery. Angioplasty, stenting and atherectomy offer many advantages. There are no incisions so the procedure is nearly painless and recovery is almost immediate for most patients. Unlike traditional surgery patients, who require general anesthesia, endovascular patients require only mild sedation to help them relax which reduces risk and shortens recovery.
The procedure is done using X-ray guidance to direct a fine catheter through the blood vessels to the blocked area. This is followed by a wire and balloon or stent.
Once placed, a stent works like a scaffold holding the artery open. Balloons and stents can be coated with a slowly released medication to help keep the blood vessel from re-narrowing over time.
At the end of the procedure, when the catheter is removed pressure is applied to stop bleeding at the puncture site. Sometimes a small plug or closure device is used to seal the puncture site.