Treatments - Coronary Angioplasty / stent

This is a technique to open up narrowings in the coronary arteries. The procedure feels very similar to a coronary angiogram: a small tube is inserted into an artery in the groin or arm and a catheter (a thin, hollow tube) passed to the heart.

X-rays are used to guide a small balloon into the coronary artery and this is then inflated to open the artery. A stent (a thin, wire tube) is usually then used to help keep the artery open.

Complications are extremely rare. There is a small chance that damage could occur in the artery either where the tube is inserted (groin or arm) or in one of the heart arteries. Rarely, this needs an operation to repair the damage (including, rarely a bypass operation). The chance of something serious like this happening is probably about 1 in 400.

After the procedure, you will have to lie flat in bed for a few hours so that the artery can begin to heal. You will usually be kept in hospital overnight. You will be given some medication to help thin your blood (usually a combination of aspirin and clopidogrel) and your doctor will recommend how long you should take these. You should ask someone to drive you home and should try and avoid lifting heavy weights for about a week so that the artery has plenty of time to fully heal.