Cardiovascular Medicine Pharmacology

Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions

A non-surgical process used to treat contracting of the coronary arteries of the heart found in coronary artery disease is Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). The procedure uses coronary catheterization to visualise the blood vessels on X-ray imaging, after accessing the blood stream through the femoral or radial artery. Later, an interventional cardiologist can achieve a coronary angioplasty, by using a balloon catheter where a squashed balloon is advanced into the obstructed artery and inflated to release the narrowing; specific devices such as stents can be arranged to keep the blood vessel open. Several other processes can also be achieved.  While coronary artery disease causes heart attack or chest-pain, percutaneous coronary interventions, like angioplasty only, can bring back blood-flow to the heart.