Angioplasty Explained: A Simple Guide to Your Procedure

A Patient’s Guide to Angioplasty and Stenting: What to Expect Patient Guide to Angioplasty

If your doctor has recommended an angioplasty, it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed and have a lot of questions. As an interventional cardiologist in Kolkata, my goal is to provide you with this clear, straightforward patient guide to angioplasty to help you understand every step of the process. My name is Dr. Avishek Saha, and I specialize in this very procedure, having performed over 1,500 coronary angioplasties to help patients get back to their lives.   Patient Guide to Angioplasty

This guide will walk you through what angioplasty is, why it’s done, and what you can expect before, during, and after.

What is Angioplasty and Stenting?

Coronary angioplasty (also known as Percutaneous Coronary Intervention or PCI) is a minimally invasive procedure designed to open clogged or narrowed heart arteries.  

• The Problem: Your heart gets blood from coronary arteries. Over time, a fatty substance called plaque can build up, narrowing the artery and reducing blood flow. This can cause chest pain (angina) or, if the blockage is sudden and complete, a heart attack.
• The Solution: We use a tiny balloon to push this plaque against the artery wall, restoring blood flow.
• The Stent: In almost all cases, a small, wire-mesh tube called a stent is then placed in the artery. This stent acts as a permanent scaffold to keep the artery open.  

Why Would I Need an Angioplasty?

This procedure is a cornerstone of modern cardiology. I typically recommend it in three main situations:

1. To Stop a Heart Attack: In an emergency, angioplasty is the fastest way to open a blocked artery and save heart muscle.
2. To Relieve Chest Pain (Angina): If you have significant blockages that cause chest pain and aren’t controlled by medication, angioplasty can provide immediate relief.
3. To Prevent Future Problems: If a stress test or angiogram shows a high-risk blockage, a planned angioplasty can prevent a future heart attack.

A Step-by-Step Patient Guide to the Procedure

The most common fear is the procedure itself, but it’s important to know you will be given medication to relax and the area will be numbed. You will not feel pain.

Before the Procedure You will be instructed to not eat or drink for several hours beforehand. We will review your medications and perform some routine blood tests.

During the Procedure A local anesthetic is applied to your wrist or groin. A tiny, flexible tube (a catheter) is guided through your artery toward your heart. You will not feel this. A special dye is injected to create an X-ray “map” (an angiogram) to find the exact blockage. A small balloon is inflated at the blockage site, and then the stent is put in place. The whole process typically takes 30 to 60 minutes.  

After the Procedure You will be moved to a recovery area for monitoring. Most patients stay in the hospital for one night for observation.

What is Angioplasty Recovery Like?

This is a critical part of any patient guide to angioplasty. Recovery is much faster than open-heart surgery.

• In the Hospital: You’ll be monitored closely for the first 12-24 hours.
• At Home: Most people return to light activities and desk work within a week. You should avoid heavy lifting for a short period.
• Medication: You will be prescribed crucial blood-thinning medications to prevent clots from forming on the new stent. It is vital you take these exactly as prescribed.

For more information on all types of cardiac device management, you can read about other procedures like pacemaker implantation.  

Risks vs. Benefits

The benefits of angioplasty are immense: it can be life-saving, stop chest pain, and improve your quality of life. Like any medical procedure, it has risks, though they are uncommon. These can include bleeding at the catheter site or, rarely, other complications. The American Heart Association provides an excellent overview of these risks. We will discuss your specific situation in detail before the procedure.

Your Kolkata Angioplasty Specialist

When choosing a doctor for your angioplasty, experience matters. As an interventional cardiologist with a DM in Cardiology and a track record of over 1,500 successful angioplasties , my team and I are dedicated to providing the highest standard of care.  

This patient guide to angioplasty is a starting point. The next step is a personal consultation.

If you are in the Kolkata area, please contact our clinic today to schedule an appointment. We are here to answer all your questions and give you confidence in your heart health.