Angioplasty

(Called Balloon angioplasty or Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty/ PTCA) Angioplasty is a technique that uses a tiny catheter fitted with an inflatable balloon to open a narrowed section of coronary artery. Once the catheter reaches the site of the narrowing or blockage, the balloon is then inflated and pushes outward. The inflated balloon opens the narrowed artery by splitting and compressing the blockage (fatty deposits and/or blood clot) against the wall of the artery.