When you’re having a heart attack, immediate treatment can mean the difference between making a full recovery and dying. One of the most effective emergency interventions is a minimally invasive procedure called coronary angioplasty and stenting.
As the go-to emergency treatment for patients having a heart attack (myocardial infarction), angioplasty and stenting has saved millions of lives in the nearly five decades it’s been in use.
In this month’s blog, Dr. Laura Fernandes of Woodlands Heart and Vascular Institute explains how this marvel of modern medicine works to protect your heart.
A heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart is significantly limited or blocked — typically because cholesterol and fats have left a sticky buildup of plaque (atherosclerosis) in one or more coronary arteries, the vessels that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood.
When atherosclerosis narrows and restricts your coronary arteries, it’s called coronary artery disease (CAD). As the most common form of heart disease, CAD is responsible for millions of heart attacks — and millions of deaths — in the United States each year.
Luckily, far fewer people die from heart attacks today than in the past. Starting in 1977, cardiologists have used angioplasty and stenting to open blocked coronary arteries and restore immediate blood flow to the heart muscle, without open heart surgery.
Angioplasty is also a stand-alone procedure. A heart procedure that combines angioplasty with stenting is called a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Here’s how it works:
Dr. Fernandes uses a thin tube (catheter) with a tiny balloon on its tip to navigate to a blocked or narrowed cardiac artery. She inflates the balloon to press the plaque against the artery wall, effectively opening the vessel to restore normal blood flow.
A stent is a small, permanent metal mesh tube that acts as a scaffold to keep the artery open long-term. It expands with the balloon and remains after the balloon is deflated and removed.
About 75% of the stents used in PCI procedures are drug-eluting stents, which are coated with slow-release medication to prevent the treated artery from narrowing again.
An emergency PCI during a heart attack benefits your heart health immediately, and those benefits continue to support future healing through cardiac rehabilitation and recovery. Angioplasty and stenting work to:
Your PCI procedure immediately restores blood flow to your heart, taking stress off the muscle to support normal function, alleviating symptoms like chest pain, and preventing cardiac arrest.
The quick restoration of oxygen-rich blood flow to the blocked area is crucial for minimizing or preventing irreversible damage to the heart muscle, both during and after a heart attack.
Reduced heart muscle damage lowers your risk of complications — like heart failure or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) — that can emerge when such an episode inflicts moderate to severe damage.
The stent keeps the treated artery open through its structure and the medication it emits, significantly lowering the risk of a recurrent blockage and heart attack.
As a minimally invasive procedure, angioplasty with stenting typically involves a shorter hospital stay and a faster healing and recovery time compared to open-heart procedures like bypass surgery. That means you can begin cardiac rehabilitation sooner.
After an emergency PCI, it’s common for patients to experience an improved quality of life. For example, most people have more energy following their angioplasty procedure and can return to exercise and other physical activities they previously struggled with.
Most people also gain a new perspective on their health following a heart attack. Needing a PCI can be a wake-up call that makes you more mindful of your weight, lifestyle patterns, and habits — all of which serve to benefit and protect your long-term heart health.
You can have a long, heart-healthy life following a heart attack, and we’re here to support your efforts every step of the way. To learn more, schedule an appointment by phone or online today at Woodlands Heart and Vascular Institute in The Woodlands, Texas.
