Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)

This is a procedure used to open a coronary artery that has a stenosis (blockage). A small wire is placed into a guiding catheter and advanced into the vessel and across the blocked area. A balloon catheter is loaded over the wire and advanced into the blockage. When the balloon is inflated it widens the artery by compressing the plaque against the vessel wall thus allowing more room for blood flow.

What's Next

Stents

The procedure for stent placement is the same as PTCA except that the balloon catheter has a stent (small metal scaffolding) attached to the balloon portion of the catheter. The stent is placed across the blockage and when the balloon is inflated the stent is expanded and embeds into the vessel wall. This extra support reduces the likelihood of re-narrowing. Stents are now available with a drug coating (rapamycin) that is released over time to further lessen the likelihood of re-narrowing.

Additional treatment options for Cardiac Catheterization Patients:

Directional Atherectomy (DCA)

Catheter designed to cut out and remove plaque (blockage)

Rotational Atherectomy (Rotablator)

Catheter designed with diamond studded tip that spins rapidly to disintegrate calcified (extremely hard) blockages

Plaque Debris Extraction (Percusurge)

System using a balloon tipped guardwire that is inflated during PTCA or Stent placement and an extraction catheter used to remove any plaque that showers distally. This is used in saphenous vein grafts (SVGs or by-pass grafts).

Brachytherapy

Technique using a radioactive wire that is placed inside a stent that has become re-narrowed to treat and decrease the likelihood of re-narrowing.

Intra-Coronary Thrombolysis (Angio-Jet)

Catheter designed for use of high velocity saline jets on tip that allow for removal of thrombus (blood clot) from the vessel.