SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
24/7 HELPLINE (903) 212-7500
  • PATIENT PORTAL LOGIN

PhyNet Health PhyNet Health

  • Home
  • Find a Clinic
    • Hughes Springs, TX
    • Longview, TX
    • Jefferson, TX
    • Kilgore, TX
    • Lindale, TX
    • Linden, TX
    • Gladewater, TX
    • Lone Star, TX
    • Tatum, TX
    • Marshall, TX
  • Health Services
    • Primary Care Services
    • Physical Therapy / Rehab
    • Allergy Testing & Treatment
    • Chronic Care Management
    • Remote Monitoring Program
    • Virtual Visit
  • Resources
    • MedlinePlus Wiki
      • Health Topics
    • Home Health Coordination
    • Transitions of Care
    • Insurance Help
  • About Phynet
    • About Phynet
    • PhyNet News
    • Better Together Stories
    • Careers
  • Billing

Health Topics

Skip navigation

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine
MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You
  • Health Topics
  • Drugs & Supplements
  • Genetics
  • Medical Tests
  • Medical Encyclopedia
  • About MedlinePlus
  • About MedlinePlus
  • What's New
  • Site Map
  • Customer Support
  • Health Topics
  • Drugs & Supplements
  • Genetics
  • Medical Tests
  • Medical Encyclopedia
Español
You Are Here:
Home →
Health Topics →
Angioplasty
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/angioplasty.html

Angioplasty

Also called: Balloon angioplasty, Coronary angioplasty, Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
On this page

Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here

Learn More

  • Related Issues

See, Play and Learn

  • Images
  • Videos and Tutorials

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Journal Articles

Resources

  • Reference Desk
  • Find an Expert

For You

  • Patient Handouts

Summary

What is angioplasty?

Angioplasty is a procedure to improve blood flow in coronary arteries that have become narrow or blocked. Your coronary arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart. If you have coronary artery disease, a sticky material called plaque builds up in your coronary arteries. Plaque is made of cholesterol, calcium, and other substances in your blood. Over time, it can narrow your arteries or fully block them. When this happens, some parts of your heart don't get enough blood.

Angioplasty widens the blocked part of your artery so more blood can get through. It is also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

What conditions does angioplasty treat?

Doctors (usually a heart specialist called a cardiologist) use angioplasty to:

  • Reduce chest pain from blockages in the coronary arteries. This type of pain is called angina. There are different types of angina. Angioplasty treats certain types.
  • Limit damage to the heart during or right after a heart attack. In this case, angioplasty is an emergency treatment.

Angioplasty does not cure coronary artery disease. To help prevent more plaque blockages, you'll need to take any prescribed medicines, eat healthy foods, and get regular exercise.

What happens during angioplasty?

Most people have angioplasties in a hospital in a special room called a cardiac catheterization, or cath, lab. You will be awake and lying down. You'll get medicine to help you relax through an intravenous (IV) line. This is a small tube that goes into a vein in your hand or arm.

Angioplasty is done through a blood vessel in your arm, wrist, or groin. Your doctor will:

  • Make a small opening in that area to insert a thin tube (a catheter) into a blood vessel.
  • Thread the tube through the vessel to your heart, using x-rays as a guide.
  • Inject contrast dye inside your arteries. The dye highlights your heart and blood vessels in the x-rays.
  • Replace the first tube with another one that has a small, deflated balloon on the end.
  • Guide the balloon inside the blockage and inflate it to push the plaque flat against the artery wall. This makes the artery wider and improves blood flow.
  • Sometimes put a small, mesh tube into the artery to help keep it open. The tube is called a stent. Some stents have a coating of medicine that helps prevent blood clots from forming.

What happens after an angioplasty?

If you had an angioplasty for chest pain, you'll go to a recovery room for a few hours. You may stay in the hospital overnight. Your doctor will probably prescribe medicines to prevent blood clots. Most people can return to their usual activities after a week.

If you had an emergency angioplasty for a heart attack, you'll need to stay in the hospital for about a few more days.

Are there any risks from angioplasty?

Angioplasty is very safe, but every invasive procedure comes with risks. You may get a bruise, feel sore, or have some bleeding where the tubes were inserted. More serious problems don't happen very often, but they are possible. They can include serious bleeding, blood clots, and narrowing of the artery again.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

  • Angioplasty and Vascular Stenting Video (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
  • Heart Treatments From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
  • What Are Stents? From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

  • Coronary Artery Disease: Angioplasty or Bypass Surgery? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Drug-Eluting Stents: Do They Increase Heart Attack Risk? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Heart Procedures and Surgeries (American Heart Association)
  • What Is Cardiac Catheterization From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Images

  • Coronary artery balloon angioplasty - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

  • Balloon angioplasty - short segment Video (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) Video (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) Video (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Angioplasty From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Color duplex ultrasound-guided percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for hemodialysis-associated venous hypertension syndrome:...
  • Article: Effect of stent shape in areas of high compression on patency...
  • Article: Mid-to-long term outcomes following renal artery angioplasty in children and young adults...
  • Angioplasty -- see more articles

Reference Desk

  • Heart Information Center (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish
  • How the Heart Works From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

  • American Heart Association
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute From the National Institutes of Health

Patient Handouts

  • Angioplasty and stent - heart - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Angioplasty and stent placement - heart (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Angioplasty

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Angioplasty and stent - heart - discharge
  • Angioplasty and stent placement - heart
  • Balloon angioplasty - short segment
  • Coronary artery balloon angioplasty - series
  • Directional coronary atherectomy (DCA)
  • Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
  • Stent

Related Health Topics

  • Atherosclerosis
  • Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
  • Coronary Artery Disease

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Angioplasty is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Angioplasty

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

  • About MedlinePlus
  • What's New
  • Site Map
  • Customer Support
  • Subscribe to RSSRSS
  • Connect with NLM
  • NLM Web Policies
  • Copyright
  • Accessibility
  • Guidelines for Links
  • Viewers & Players
  • HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
  • MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs
  • For Developers
National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health
Last updated March 12, 2025
Return to top

Patients

  • Find a Clinic
  • Health Services
  • Complex Case Management
  • MA / Medicare Assistance

Quick Links

  • Billing Information
  • Careers
  • About Phynet
  • PhyNet News

Network Links

  • PrimeCareHomeHealth.com
  • PrimeCareNet.com
  • PrimeCareManagers.com
  • Core-Rehab.com

Home Office

4002 Technology Center Longview TX 75605
Phone: (903) 247-0484
Fax: (903) 247-0485
[email protected]
  • PrimeCareHomeHealth.com
  • PrimeCareNet.com
  • PrimeCareManagers.com
  • Core-Rehab.com
  • GET SOCIAL

© 2021 PhyNet Health • All rights reserved
YOUR LIFE. YOUR CHOICE.

TOP