What is an angioplasty and stents? – BHF

An angoplasty is a procedure to help your heart get more blood by widening narrowed or blocked arteries. Your coronary arteries supply your heart muscle with blood high in oxygen. If they become too narrow, your heart can't get enough blood. Before the procedure, you'll be given local anesthetic to numb your wrist or groin area. This means you'll be awake, but you shouldn't feel any pain. A small cut is made in either your wrist or the top of your leg and a thin tube is put into an artery and guided to your heart. A dye called contrast dye is injected into the tube. You may feel a flushing feeling, but it goes away soon after. The dye helps show your coronary arteries on an X-ray screen. This part is called an angiogram. The tube is then guided to the narrow part of your coronary artery and a small balloon on the end is blown up to widen the artery. You may also have a stent put in your artery. This is a short metal mesh tube like very small pieces of scaffolding. It helps hold your artery open. The balloon is taken out and the stent is left in place to keep the artery open and help more blood flow to your heart. The procedure usually lasts 1 to 2 hours and you'll go home the same day or the day after. Before you leave hospital, you should be referred to cardiac rehabilitation to support your recovery. Ask the hospital team if you have any questions before you go home. For more information, search bhf. org. uk/angoplasty.