Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to open blocked blood vessels by inserting a balloon catheter and inflating the balloon to compress plaque and widen the vessel. It is commonly used to treat coronary artery disease and heart attacks. During angioplasty, a balloon is guided to the blockage where it is inflated to open the artery. Sometimes a stent is placed to keep the artery open. Angioplasty allows faster treatment of heart attacks with good long-term outcomes and is generally safer than alternative procedures like bypass surgery.

1. TECHNOLOGY WILL Angioplasty
SAVE OUR MINDS AND By: Matthew
Cotton
BODIES

2. WHAT IS ANGIOPLAST Y
 Angioplasty is a medical
technology used unblock blood
vessels, most commonly the
coronary artery.
 Angioplasty is an minimally
invasive medical procedure
that involves inserting a small
wire with a balloon at the end
into an blocked blood vessel.
Inflation of the balloon opens
up the blockage.
 Two types of angioplasty
include balloon and balloon
with a stent.

3. WHAT IS ANGIOPLAST Y USED FOR?
 The most common use of
angioplasty is for
treatment of coronary
artery disease (CAD).
 Less common uses would
include unblocking
arteries in the
abdomen, renal
system, neck and limbs.
 Angioplasty is the most
common emergency
treatment for acute
myocardial infarctions
(heart attack).

4. HOW IS THIS A TECHNOLOGICAL
ADVANCEMENT
 Angioplasty has become leading edge in treatment of patients
experiencing a sudden heart attack.
 Angioplasty can be done within hours of the onset of a heart
attack and will give the best prognosis.
 The surgery is minimal, patients will usually only end up with
a small incision on their thigh.
 Patients can receive a stent in their blood vessel which will
allow for increased structure of the vein or artery.

5. ALTERNATIVES TO ANGIOPLAST Y
Coronary artery bypass
grafting (CABG) Heart Medication
 Involves open heart  Can only be used of
surgery. heart attack is mild and
 Requires blood caught early.
vessels, usually taken  Can cause dangerous
from the legs. bleeding.
 Longer recovery  If it is not successful
angioplasty or CAGB
 More dangerous risks. will still be required.
 May require patient to  Least harmful if
be on long term successful
medication

6. DISEASES TREATED:
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
 Atherosclerosis is a build up of plaque over time on the walls
of the arteries of the heart, caused by increased blood
cholesterol levels.
 Symptoms include: Chest pain that can radiate to arms and
jaw (Angina) and Shortness of breath.
 Complications: Heart attack, Heart failure and arrhythmias.
 Causes: Sedentary life style, obesity, smoking, family
history, high blood pressure and high cholesterol or blood
sugar.

7. DISEASES TREATED CONT’D:
ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (AMI)
 Acute myocardial infarction also known as a heart attack is
when atherosclerotic build up in the arteries rupture and
cause a blood clot to block the blood flow to the heart.
 Symptoms include: Chest pain that radiates to the arms and
jaw, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea and
vomiting, dizziness, weakness, rapid or irregular heart beat.
 Complications: arrhythmias, heart failure, valve problems and
death.
 Causes: Heart disease, Coronary artery disease.

8. HOW ANGIOPLAST Y IS PREFORMED
 The surgeon will make a incision in the groin to a main artery
after numbing the area and relaxing the patient with
medication.
 A flexible wire will be inserted in the artery and fed up to the
blockage in the heart. Live x -rays will show the surgeon where
to go.
 The wire will be pushed through the blockage and a small
balloon will be inflated to open up the blockage.
 A stent ( wire mesh) may be left in place to keep the artery
open.
 The wire is removed.
 Blood flow is increased to the body when artery is opened.
 The incision will be closed and bleeding controlled.
 Patient will begin recovery.

9. WHAT IS A STENT
 The stent is a small
tube made of a metal
mesh.
 It is used to treat
weak or narrowed
blood vessels.
 Stents are permanent
and implanted using
angioplasty.
 Some stents are
coated in a slow
release medication
that helps prevent
arteries from
becoming blocked.

10. PROS VS. CONS
PROS CONS
 Fast treatment of a hear t  Patient may experience
attack in a time dependent intense pain at incision site
moment. and during balloon inflation.
 If successful good long -term  May rupture ar ter y (rare).
results.  Stent may become dislodged.
 Safer than bypass graf ting  Patient may bleed excessively
 Cheaper than bypass surger y at incision site.
 Patient recover s faster than by  Procedure may cause hear t
alternatives attack while surger y is in
 Good Prognosis progress.
 Stent may need to be replaced
in following years.

11. PATIENT OUTCOMES
This is a look at patient outcomes with angioplasty vs. bypass surgery. You
can see that angioplasty is always more successful.
Mortality After Bypass
Mortality After Angioplasty
Surgery
225,915 patients
357,885 patients
Ages 30 Day 1 Year 30 Day 1 Year
% % % %
65-69 2.1 5.2 4.3 8.0
70-74 3.0 7.3 5.7 10.9
75-79 4.6 10.9 7.4 14.2
>80 7.8 17.3 10.6 19.5

12. REFERENCES
 A Maziar Zafari, M. (2013, February 11). Myocardial Infarction .
Retrieved from Medscape:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/155919 -over view
 American Heart Association . (2012). What is a Stent? Retrieved
from Answers by Heart: http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart -
public/@wcm/@hcm/documents/downloadable/ucm_300452.pdf
 Dugdale, D. C. (2012, August 18). Angioplasty and stent
placement - carotid ar ter y. Retrieved from Medline Plus:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002953.htm
 Latest Morbidity and Mor tality Statistics on Bypass Surger y and
Angioplasty. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Noninvasive Heart Center:
http://www.heartprotect.com/mortality -stats.shtml
 Mayoclinic. (2012, June 29). Coronar y ar ter y disease . Retrieved
from Mayoclinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coronary -
artery -disease/DS00064