In approximately one-third of all cases, the blockages return and the artery becomes narrow again. Restenosis can happen within six months of the procedure, and its causes are not entirely understood. It may be linked to newly formed plaque deposits, clot formation caused by the rough, irregular opening created by the original angioplasty, scar tissue from insertion of a stent, or thickening of the arterial wall in response to the stretching of the artery.
Although restenosis is not uncommon, it does not affect every patient, and the prognosis for many angioplasty patients is excellent. Studies have shown nearly identical survival rates for bypass and angioplasty patients over five years following the original procedure.
What is going to happen to my body?
As explained above, your blocked arteries will be widened. First, a special contrast material is injected into the bloodstream. Then a thin catheter with a guideline is fed into your body through the femoral artery in your leg, near the groin, or an artery in your arm. Using X-rays that detect the flow of dye, the doctor feeds the catheter through the circulatory system, up to the heart, and into the blocked part of the coronary artery. The doctor then replaces the guide catheter with a balloon-tipped catheter. The balloon is inflated, and the plaque is compressed against the arterial wall.
When a stent is used, it is placed over a catheter and inserted after the artery has been cleared using balloon angioplasty. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands and stays permanently in the artery. The lining of the artery will eventually grow over the surface of the metallic stent.
What are the risks of this procedure?
Advancements in treatment have resulted in angioplasty success rates of 96 to 99 percent. The biggest risk is collapse of the artery, which can trigger a heart attack and requires emergency coronary bypass surgery.
The chance of having a heart attack is between 1 and 3 percent, and the risk of dying during angioplasty is less than 1.5 percent. Emergency coronary bypass surgery rates for angioplasty patients range between 0.2 and 3 percent.
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