• Angioplasty & Stents

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    “You and Your Stent” is provided compliments of Daiichi Sankyo/Eli Lilly in Partnership with SCAI. Copyright © 2013 Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and Lilly USA, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
    Angioplasty is a procedure designed to restore normal blood flow through clogged or blocked arteries, which can lead to heart attack, stroke and other serious cardiovascular problems. 

    Angioplasty and stents are the standard of care to treat a heart attack in progress. Cardiologists also can recommend angioplasty and stents to treat symptoms of heart blockages, to reopen blocked carotid arteries that can cause a stroke, and to expand narrowed arteries that supply the arms and legs with blood.

  • More About Angioplasty and Stents

    Living with Stable Angina: Prepare Your Action Plan

    Angina can be painful and frightening but it doesn’t have to ruin your life. If you take action and work with your doctor to find a treatment plan that’s right for you, you can find relief from your symptoms.

    Your Angiogram: What to Expect

    If your cardiologist is concerned about your heart, you might be referred for an angiogram—a diagnostic procedure that provides detailed x-ray pictures of your heart and its blood vessels. As with any procedure, knowing what the test can tell you and your doctor as well as what to expect before, during, and after the test can help minimize stress.

    Close to Home - Angioplasty at Community Hospitals Can Be as Safe as at Large Hospitals

    For any non-emergency hospital procedure, you weigh the benefits and drawbacks of where you will seek treatment. Many people will choose treatment at a hospital that is close to home and easy for family and friends to access. In other cases, you may be willing to travel hundreds of miles to receive the most advanced treatment. Recent studies suggest that for elective angioplasty it's not an “either/or” decision. In fact, a study presented this week at a large medical conference seems to confirm that community hospitals can perform elective angioplasty as safely and effectively as their larger counterparts.

    Deciding When to Use Stents for Heart Disease: Study Finds Stenting Severe Blockages Is Better Than Medications Alone

    What’s the best treatment option for patients who have heart disease? The simplest answer is, “It depends.” If you are having a heart attack, prompt treatment with angioplasty can save your life and stop damage to the heart muscle. But what about so-called stable heart disease, where your life is not in immediate danger, but symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain (often called angina) can take much of the pleasure out of daily life?

    Angioplasty

    Angioplasty is a procedure designed to restore normal blood flow through clogged or blocked arteries, which can lead to heart attack, stroke and other serious cardiovascular problems.

    Stents

    Angioplasty and stents are the standard of care to treat a heart attack in progress. Cardiologists also can recommend angioplasty and stents to treat symptoms of heart blockages, to reopen blocked carotid arteries that can cause a stroke, and to expand narrowed arteries that supply the arms and legs with blood.

    History of Angioplasty and Stenting

    Angioplasty and stenting are part of the bigger field of interventional cardiology, which addresses cardiovascular problems through catheter-based procedures.

    Conditions Treated by Angioplasty and Stenting

    You probably think of angioplasty as a treatment for heart attacks. And you are right -- stopping a heart attack in progress continues to be one of the most important uses for angioplasty. Heart patients who are not in immediate danger can often also benefit from angioplasty’s ability to stop cardiac chest pain (angina).

    Benefits and Risks of Angioplasty and Stenting

    As with any procedure and medical device implant, discuss the benefits and risks with your physician to find a treatment plan that will give you the quality of life that is right for you. Here is a snapshot of the benefits and risks of undergoing angioplasty and receiving a stent.

    Your Angioplasty and Stenting Procedure

    As with any medical procedure, angioplasty alone or in combination with stenting is the right treatment for patients who meet certain criteria. If you have blockages in your arteries, your physician will assess the severity of your cardiovascular disease and where you best fit among a range of treatment options – sometimes referred to as the spectrum of care.

    The Future of Angioplasty and Stenting

    The field of interventional cardiology has been one of innovation from the beginning. Its early history was driven by the persistence of forward-thinking cardiologists in the face of slow recognition of major advances. Today, advanced technologies offer the promise of improvement on existing, life-saving and life-improving interventional procedures.

    Tools and Devices Your Interventional Cardiologist May Use

    Learn about tools and devices your interventional cardiologist may use