Coronary Angioplasty

Coronary angioplasty, also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is a minimally invasive procedure performed in a catheterisation laboratory to treat atherosclerotic narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries. A thin catheter is advanced through the wrist or groin to the heart, a balloon is inflated at the site of the blockage, and a stent is usually deployed to keep the artery open. It relieves angina and is used to restore blood flow during or after a heart attack. Most patients are discharged within one to two days and recover quickly.