A procedure to enlarge the opening in a blood vessel that has become narrowed or blocked by plaque (a buildup of fat and cholesterol on the inner wall of the blood vessel). Examples of angioplasty are balloon angioplasty and laser angioplasty.

A procedure used to open blocked or narrowed arteries, most commonly by inserting a thin tube, or catheter, into the affected artery and inflating a balloon.

An endovascular procedure used to widen diseased arteries resulting in increasing blood flow through the area.

Angioplasty is a procedure to improve blood flow in coronary arteries that have become narrow or blocked. Your coronary arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart. If you have coronary artery disease, a sticky material called plaque builds up in the coronary arteries. Plaque is made of cholesterol, calcium, and other substances in your blood. Over time, it can narrow your arteries or fully block them. When this happens, some parts of your heart don't get enough blood. Angioplasty widens the blocked part of the artery so more blood can get through. It is also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Doctors use angioplasty to: Reduce chest pain from blockages in the coronary arteries. This type of pain is called angina. There are different types of angina. Angioplasty treats certain types.; Limit damage to the heart during or right after a heart attack. In this case, angioplasty is an emergency treatment. Angioplasty does not cure coronary artery disease. To help prevent more plaque blockages, you'll need to take any prescribed medicines, eat healthy foods, and get regular exercise. Most people have angioplasties in a hospital in a special room called a cardiac catheterization, or cath, lab. You will be awake and lying down. You'll get medicine to help you relax through an intravenous (IV) line. This is a small tube that goes into a vein in your hand or arm. Angioplasty is done through a blood vessel in your arm, wrist, or groin. Your doctor will: Make a small opening in that area to insert a thin tube (a catheter) into a blood vessel.; Thread the tube through the vessel to your heart, using x-rays as a guide.; Inject contrast dye inside your arteries. The dye highlights your heart and blood vessels in the x-rays.; Replace the first tube with another one that has a small, deflated balloon on the end.; Guide the balloon inside the blockage and inflate it to push the plaque flat against the artery wall. This makes the artery wider and improves blood flow.; Sometimes put a small, mesh tube into the artery to help keep it open. The tube is called a stent. Some stents have a coating of medicine that helps prevent blood clots from forming. If you had an angioplasty for chest pain, you'll go to a recovery room for a few hours. You may stay in the hospital overnight. Your doctor will probably prescribe medicines to prevent blood clots. Most people can return to their usual activities after a week. If you had an emergency angioplasty for a heart attack, you'll need to stay in the hospital for about a few more days. Angioplasty is very safe. You may get a bruise, feel sore, or have some bleeding where the tubes were inserted. More serious problems don't happen very often, but they are possible. They can include serious bleeding, blood clots, and narrowing of the artery again. NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Reconstruction or repair of a blood vessel, which includes the widening of a pathological narrowing of an artery or vein by the removal of atheromatous plaque material and/or the endothelial lining as well, or by dilatation (BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY) to compress an ATHEROMA. Except for ENDARTERECTOMY, usually these procedures are performed via catheterization as minimally invasive ENDOVASCULAR PROCEDURES.

(intraluminal angioplasty) Diverse group of surgical procedures to remove or flatten constrictive deposits on the inner walls of blood vessels, thereby improving blood flow.

Angioplasty, therapeutic opening of a blocked blood vessel. Usually a balloon is inflated near the end of a catheter (see catheterization) to flatten plaques against an artery's wall. Performed on a coronary artery, angioplasty is a less invasive alternative to coronary bypass...