Heart Disease Part-7
Angioplasty and stenting
If the coronary angiogram (coronary=heart + angio=artery + gram=record) shows
significant blockage in an artery, the cardiologist may attempt an
angioplasty,
in which a balloon is placed via a catheter (as with angiography) at the area of
narrowing and when quickly inflated, compresses the offending plaque into the
wall of the artery. Often a stent, or a metal cage, is placed at the site of
angioplasty to keep the blood vessel from narrowing again. Should a stent be
placed, patients are usually started on antiplatelet medication to prevent clot
formation. Clopidogrel (Plavix) and prasugrel (Effient) are the two most common
medications prescribed.
Surgery
For those patients with multiple coronary artery blockages,
coronary artery
bypass grafting may be a consideration.
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