Balloon angioplasty is one of three standard treatments for coronary artery disease (CAD) – a disease in which the blood flow to the heart is restricted due to hardened arteries (atherosclerosis) that are clogged with plaque deposits. The other standard treatments for CAD are medication and bypass surgery.

The goal of balloon angioplasty is to push the fatty plaque back against the artery wall to make more room for blood to flow through the artery. This improved blood flow results in the improvement of cardiac symptoms and function. Balloon angioplasty may also be used as treatment for a heart attack in some emergency facilities.

Balloon angioplasty is a catheter-based procedure. It begins with the physician using a local anesthetic to numb a specific area of the patient’s body – usually the upper thigh or groin area where the femoral artery is located. The physician then inserts a long, thin tube with a deflated balloon at the tip (balloon-tipped catheter) into the artery and guides it to the heart. When the balloon-tipped catheter is at the site of the blockage, the balloon is rapidly inflated, pushing the plaque in the artery back against the wall of the artery. The balloon-tipped catheter is then removed. In most cases, a stent (wire mesh tube) will then be permanently implanted to hold the artery open. The patient is then given time to recover. Most patients are free to go home after about 24 hours.