Where will the angioplasty be performed?
The angioplasty procedure is performed at a hospital or medical center's catheterization laboratory, which is a specially equipped X-ray room, not a traditional operating room. Because of the slight risk of serious complications, the AHA/ACC expert guidelines recommend that elective angioplasty procedures only be performed in institutions that have an experienced cardiovascular surgical team available to perform bypass surgery, if necessary. In emergency situation, only certain hospitals have the facilities to accomplish these procedures. Recent studies suggest that results in facilities without surgical back up during acute myocardial infarctions have reasonably good results.
Do I have time to get myself and my family ready?
Depending on your circumstances, your angioplasty procedure may not be scheduled immediately and you will have time to discuss the situation with your family. A scheduled angioplasty is often performed as a result of a blockage found during a catheterization (sometimes due to stress test results). Your doctor may have discussed the options of bypass surgery versus angioplasty with you, and you may wish to discuss these issues with your family.
Angioplasty can, however, occur as an emergency treatment for heart attack or cardiac arrest. As with any emergency situation, you and your doctor will want the procedure performed as quickly as possible.
Is there anything I should or should not do before the procedure?
You will be asked to refrain from eating and drinking anything after midnight on the night before the procedure (with slight modifications for patients with diabetes). It is important that you follow these and any other instructions carefully.
How long does it take?
Depending on the severity of the blockage and the number of blockages, the procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours to complete.
Will I be awake?
You may be given a sedative to help you relax. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, instead of general, because you need to be awake to move, cough or breathe when asked to do so.
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