Patient Education
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

  Your Body
  Alternatives
  Medical Record
  Anesthesia
  Before Surgery
  Your Procedure
  Recovery

Stent Implantation

Coronary Angioplasty


Your Procedure

This information is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. MedSelfEd, Inc. disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.
NOTE: By viewing this site you have read and agreed to the DISCLAIMER.
Now it's time to talk about the actual procedure your doctor has recommended for you.

On the day of your operation,
you will be asked to put on a surgical gown.
You may receive a sedative by mouth
and an intravenous line may be put in.
You will then be transferred to the operating table.
To begin, your leg and groin are swabbed with an antiseptic solution.
Then the doctor will make a small cut over the femoral artery in the upper part of the leg.
A special needle is then inserted into the artery itself.
Then a guide wire is carefully passed through the needle and gently pushed into the artery
and upwards towards your chest.
A narrow tube, called a catheter is threaded along the wire until it too has reached the coronary artery
Next, the doctor uses the catheter to inject a dye into the artery itself. The die shows up on a TV monitor and is used to pinpoint the exact location of the blocked area.
Once the restricted area has been identified, a thin wire is inserted into the catheter, and is guided all the way to the blocked area and then slightly beyond.
This wire acts as guide for the balloon catheter. It allows your doctor to position the deflated balloon precisely in the middle of the narrowest part of the coronary artery.
The balloon is briefly inflated. As it expands, it squeezes the plaque deposits against the wall of the artery. It also stretches the artery wall and enlarges the channel through which blood flows.
Your doctor will continue to inflate and deflate the balloon until normal blood flow has been restored.
The balloon catheter is then withdrawn and another balloon catheter is inserted. This balloon has the mesh stent tube wrapped around it.
Once this tube has been placed in the center of now widened area of the artery, the balloon is briefly inflated. The stent expands until it hugs the walls of the artery.
Finally, after a thorough investigation of the region, the catheters and guide wire are withdrawn and the stent remains permanently to provide support to the artery and to resist the buildup of plaque.
The dye that had been injected will break up and leave your body as waste.
Slight pressure is applied to the incision in your leg in order to prevent bleeding.

previous top of page next
 

Survey Questions

1) Did the information help to decrease any anxiety that you may have had about the procedure?
Yes, definitely.
Yes, maybe.
No, not at all.
2) Did the presentation help you understand the procedure any better?
Yes, definitely.
Yes, maybe.
No, not at all.
3) How would you rate the quality of the information?
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
4) Would you recommend this program to others having the same procedure?
Yes, definitely.
Yes, probably.
No.
Thank you for taking our Survey!
Print Page

NOTE: By viewing this site you have read and agreed to the DISCLAIMER
- See legal or privacy section for your security and rights information -