Glossary term · Treatment
Coronary angioplasty (also: PCI, Percutaneous coronary intervention, PTCA): Coronary angioplasty is a catheter procedure that widens a narrowed heart artery with a balloon, usually followed by placing a stent.
Coronary angioplasty is a procedure that widens a narrowed or blocked coronary artery using a small balloon passed through a catheter, usually from the wrist or groin. The NHS says a stent is usually left in place to keep the artery open. With a stent the procedure is often called percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI.
How is it done?
The NHS says you are usually awake under local anaesthetic. A catheter is inserted through the groin, wrist or arm and guided to the heart using X-ray video. Contrast dye shows the narrowing. A balloon is inflated to widen the artery and a stent expands around it. The NHS says it usually takes between 30 minutes and two hours.
Why is it done?
The NHS says angioplasty is used for angina that medicines do not control. It is also often used as emergency treatment after a heart attack. For travelling patients it is almost always a planned procedure, decided after a coronary angiography shows where and how severe the narrowing is.
What are the risks?
MedlinePlus calls angioplasty generally safe but lists possible complications. These include bleeding or clotting at the insertion site, allergic reaction to the dye, re-narrowing inside the stent, heart attack, kidney problems, irregular heartbeat and, rarely, stroke. Your cardiologist will explain your own risk, which the NHS says depends on factors such as age and general health.
What should you plan for?
- Send your recent angiography images and reports so the cardiologist can review them before you travel.
- Ask whether the plan is angioplasty alone or whether bypass surgery is also being considered.
- Ask which medicines you will need after a stent, how long for and whether they are available at home.
- Ask when you can fly. The NHS advises avoiding heavy lifting and driving for at least a week. Your cardiologist decides when flying is safe.
Questions people ask
Can angioplasty be decided after I arrive in India?
Often the decision follows an angiography done in India, sometimes in the same session. Ask in advance whether the cardiologist may proceed directly to angioplasty during the angiography, and agree how consent will be handled before the test.
Is angioplasty an alternative to bypass surgery?
For some patients it is. For others, such as those with several severely narrowed arteries, a heart team may recommend bypass surgery. The choice depends on your angiography and health. Your cardiologist and cardiac surgeon decide together.
Sources
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. Your treating specialist decides on suitability, treatment and length of stay. How we write and check.