Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/Angioplasty/Atherectomy/Stent Placement

Percutaneous coronary intervention is a procedure that allows patients to avoid surgery while still getting the treatment they need for narrowed or blocked arteries. By opening up those arteries, the patient should experience an improvement in overall health in short order. Once a stent is placed in the affected blood vessel, the blood flow in that vessel should be improved. While this treatment is less invasive than open-heart surgery, it is still important to understand all risks and benefits before getting started.

An Amazing Solution It is truly amazing what can be accomplished in the world of modern medicine. A narrowing of the coronary arteries is a relatively common, and very dangerous, condition. Narrowed arteries can lead to a heart attack, and a heart attack can be fatal in many cases. So, reliving the narrowing of the arteries is an important step toward improved heart health, and percutaneous coronary intervention Beverly Hills can make that happen. The Basic Idea As with anything in cardiovascular medicine, the details of how a percutaneous coronary intervention is performed are quite advanced and complex. However, the concept of this procedure is easy for the patient to understand.

To access the blood vessel in question, the cardiologist will use a balloon catheter to reach the affected site. This is done by going through the femoral or radial artery. The balloon is deflated at the start of the procedure for easy passage through the blood vessel, and it is then inflated at the narrowed site to open up the vessel as necessary. Then, a device like a stent can be placed at that location to hold the vessel open after the balloon catheter is removed.

Many Benefits to Enjoy The obvious benefit of this treatment is the improved blood flow that can be achieved by opening the narrowed vessel. Beyond that main goal, there are many advantages that will encourage a patient to consider this treatment over other options. For instance, the patient can typically remain awake while the treatment is performed, so general anesthesia can be avoided. And, while there are always risks associated with any medical procedure – especially those dealing with the heart – the rate of complications is relatively low.

There are certain pre-existing medical conditions which may increase the likelihood of complications, so talk this over with your doctor before scheduling your treatment. Getting Ahead of the Game For many patients, the decision to have a percutaneous coronary intervention performed is not something that they can plan – rather, it is done when a heart attack is indicated, and action must be taken immediately. While you can’t eliminate the possibility that such an event will happen to you at some point in the future, being proactive with your treatment could improve your overall heart health moving forward.

By seeing your cardiologist regularly to have checkups and discuss treatment options, you might be able to reduce the odds of an emergency event somewhere down the line. Beverly Hills Cardiovascular Would Love to Serve You Percutaneous coronary intervention is just one of the many services offered by Dr. David Filsoof and his staff. Some of the other important services we are proud to provide include stress echocardiography, Holter monitor, carotid ultrasound, and more. To get started, simply give us a call during business hours. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have and schedule your first appointment. Thank you for stopping by!