Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)

What Other Terms are used to describe Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty?

• Balloon Angioplasty
• Angioplasty

Why is an Angioplasty Done?

• A PTCA is a procedure that opens narrowed arteries to increase blood flow.
• A PTCA may be done instead of coronary artery bypass surgery depending upon the type and location of the narrowing, the extent of the disease and the risk involved. 

How is A Balloon Angioplasty Done?

• This procedure is non-surgical and is performed under X-ray guidance in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab.
• A PTCA may be done immediately following a cardiac catheterization or sometime later.
• The patient is given a mild sedative to help him relax but remains awake during the procedure to allow him to answer questions regarding his comfort level, any chest pain or shortness of breath.
• A small area of the groin or arm is shaved and cleaned where the catheter is inserted.
• Medication is used to anesthetize (numb) the area, so a small incision can be made where the catheter will be inserted.
• A catheter with a deflated balloon on the tip is inserted through the artery in the groin or arm. X-ray is used to guide the catheter up into the heart.
• The catheter is threaded up into the narrowed artery of the heart. The balloon is then inflated and deflated several times to squeeze the plaque deposits against the wall of the artery.