Coronary artery problem means occlusion of coronary artery by plaque. Coronary artery problems cause reduced blood supply to heart, putting it at various risks. Unfortunately, both the available options for treatment of coronary artery problems — angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery — have their own risks.

 

Coronary angioplasty is known as percutaneous angioplasty intervention. If multiple arteries or the main artery is occluded, angioplasty is not useful. Coronary angioplasty involves opening of the clogged artery by inserting a balloon in it. Angioplasty procedure is done in cardiac catheterization lab. Risk of restenosis is the main hindrance in the use of angioplasty.

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Nowadays, cardiac stents are getting popular to avoid restenosis of artery. Cardiac stents look like a small coil of wired mesh. In the case of angioplasty with stents, the healing period is short as compared to bypass surgery. The quality of life improves with cardiac stents in coronary artery problem. Cardiac stents coated with medicines are called drug eluting stents and prevent restenosis, whereas the other type of stents without any medicines are called bare metal stents. After angioplasty, the symptoms like chest pain and breathing difficulty get improved. Emergency angioplasty can be done to open blocked artery to save the life in the case of a heart attack.
 

Cardiac patients should consider angioplasty if the medication alone is of no help and the patient is at the risk of a heart attack. If angioplasty is conducted on patients with main artery occlusion, the risk of reblockage and cardiac dysfunction increases. There is always a risk of clot formation after stents insertion, so it is important to take anticlotting medications after stents to avoid various cardiac risks. These days, cardiac stents are usually placed during angioplasty procedures. Angioplasty is done by cardiac surgeons trained in catheterization. There are some risks involved with angioplasty. Restenosis, minor heart attacks, and bleeding at the site of puncture are the main risks of angioplasty procedure.

 

Coronary artery problems, congenital heart problems, cardiac enlargement, hypertension, and myocardial infarction are other cardiac problems. Consuming fatty foods and leading a sedentary lifestyle are the main causes of rising coronary artery problems.