ANGIOPLASTY

ANGIOPLASTY
• is the mechanical widening of a
narrowed or totally obstructed
blood vessel. These obstructions
are often caused by
atherosclerosis.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF
ANGIOPLASTY
Coronary Angioplasty
/Percutaneous Coronary
Intervention (PCI)procedure to treat
• is a therapeutic
the stenotic coronary arteries of
the heart found in
coronary heart disease. These
stenotic segments are due to the
build up of cholesterol-laden
plaques that form due to
atherosclerosis
Peripheral
Angioplasty/Percutaneous
• most commonly
Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA)
done to treat
narrowings in the leg arteries,
especially the common iliac,
external iliac, superficial femoral
and popliteal arteries. PTA can also
be done to treat narrowings in
veins
Renal Artery
Angioplasty/Percutaneous
Transluminal Renal Angioplasty(PTRA)
• Atherosclerotic obstruction of the
renal artery can be treated with
angioplasty.
• Renal artery stenosis can lead to
hypertension and loss of
renal function.
Procedure:
• Once the anesthetic has numbed
the area, a small incision will be
made in the skin. When doctors
see the artery into which the
catheter will go, a special needle
is used to penetrate it. Doctors
usually put the catheter into an
artery in your leg, arm, or wrist.
Most doctors use the artery in the
leg.
• Doctors gently thread the catheter
through the artery and into your heart.
They use a video monitor (like a TV
screen) to see the process. Once the
catheter reaches the blocked artery, a
harmless dye is injected, and the
doctor will take a picture of the
coronary arteries (called a coronary
angiogram). The angiogram helps the
doctor see the size and location of the
blockage.
• Once doctors know the exact
location of the blockage, they
thread what is called a guidewire
through the same artery in the
leg and advance it across the
blockage.
• Then, the balloon-tipped catheter
is slipped over the guidewire and
advanced to the blockage. When
this catheter reaches the
blockage, the balloon is inflated.
As the balloon expands, the stent
presses against the plaque,
compressing it against the artery
wall. When the stent is already in
place the doctor will deflate the
balloon catheter to withdraw the
guidewire and leave the stent in
STENT
• a wire metal mesh tube used to
prop open an artery during
angioplasty

• When the balloon is inflated, the

stent expands, locks in place and
forms a scaffold. This holds the
artery open
• Within a few weeks of the time the
stent was placed, the inside lining
of the artery (the endothelium)
grows over the metal surface of
the stent.
• Reclosure (restenosis) is also a
problem with the stent procedure
KINDS OF STENT
• Drug Eluting Stents - These are
coated with drugs that are slowly
released and help keep the blood
vessel from reclosing
Stent Graft
• A stent graft is a tubular device,
which is composed of special fabric
supported by a rigid structure,
usually metal.
• These stents are used mainly for
vascular intervention.
• Stent grafts are used to support
weak points in arteries, commonly
known as an aneurysm.
Nursing Consideration
• Monitor heart rate and BP
• Keep the area where the catheter
was inserted dry for 24 to 48
hours.
• Advice pt. to perform ambulation
within 6 hrs after the procedure
• Make sure that the pt. takes an
anti-coagulant drug as ordered by
AP