This procedure is very similar to the cardiac catheterization the only difference is that on the tip of the catheter is placed a balloon that expands under pressure of several atmospheres. The aim is by blowing the balloon to be ensured patency for the blood in its way through the narrowed blood vessel struck by atherosclerosis. If dilatation succeed and the narrowed coronary artery is extended, this way is removes the main difficulty in delivery of the blood flow to the heart and the patient is considered healthy. Thus is eliminated the need to perform heart surgery and bypass grafting to the heart muscle.
This kind of treatment – the angioplasty (from Greek language "Angio" - concerning blood vessel) is not always possible. There are places in coronary vessels to which it is not possible to be reached. Besides there is a danger to burst coronary vessel. Then to save the patient is required immediate surgery. Readiness for such an intervention is one of the conditions for initiation of coronary angioplasty.
In the conditions of contemporary practice except a balloon under pressure are used laser devices. They extend the coronary vessels. Also remove plaques and restore patency of blocked coronary vessels.
