If you have reduced blood flow to the heart due to a narrowed coronary artery, you may be a good candidate for angioplasty and stenting, minimally invasive procedures that can restore blood flow and let you get back to your daily life. At Michigan Medicine, our Advanced Interventional Cardiology Program offers comprehensive and individualized care, using the latest technologies currently available for angioplasty and stenting, performed by our skilled team of interventional cardiologists.
About Angioplasty and Stenting
Angioplasty is a procedure in which a catheter-guided balloon is used to open a narrowed coronary artery. A stent (a wire-mesh tube that expands to hold the artery open) is usually placed at the narrowed section during angioplasty. Angioplasty is less invasive and has a shorter recovery time than bypass surgery, which is also done to increase blood flow to the heart muscle but requires open-heart surgery. Angioplasty with stent placement is also the first choice of treatment for a heart attack, if it can be performed in a timely manner.
Cardiac catheterization is a heart test using soft, thin plastic catheters to take pressure measurements inside the heart and to inject dye so pictures of the heart can be taken. It is performed prior to angioplasty to identify blockages.
The Leader in Cutting-Edge, Minimally Invasive Technologies
The newest technology available for opening an artery is a drug-eluting stent, which is a stent coated with a slowly released drug. The drug interferes with the blood vessel trying to “reblock”, thus maintaining normal blood flow to the heart.
We also offer cutting-edge assist technologies, if required, to maintain blood supply to the heart tissue during angioplasty, including:
- The TandemHeart™ Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Device: Provides short-term support from a few hours up to 14 days, giving the heart time to recover and regain function.
- The Impella 2.5 catheter: An FDA-approved minimally invasive left ventricular assist device, which provides circulatory support for up to 6 hours when the heart is not pumping enough blood.
Coronary angioplasty is successful more than 90 percent of the time. Two-thirds of people with successful coronary angioplasty have good long-term results. Since angioplasty and stenting are minimally invasive procedures, patients are usually discharged within 24 hours, and can resume their lifestyle generally within 5-7 days.
Patient Resources
Heart Catheterization Information Guide
Make an Appointment
To make an angioplasty appointment, contact us toll-free at 888-287-1082 or visit our Make a Cardiovascular Appointment page to learn what to expect when you call us.