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Beauregard Health System is proud to offer 24/7 cardiovascular services to Beauregard Parish and surrounding communities. Our highly trained professionals offer a comprehensive range of treatment options for heart-related disorders at Beauregard Cardiology Center. Additionally, cardiologists are always on call to respond to emergency treatment of cardiovascular conditions.

Angioplasty and stent insertion are among the treatment options now available at Beauregard Health System. For people who have coronary artery disease, doctors may use this procedure to open arteries narrowed or blocked by plaque—a waxy substance that can build up in artery walls and reduce blood flow to the heart. Angioplasty and stenting restore blood flow and relieve a type of chest pain called angina. These procedures can also help prevent a heart attack.

Localization

A doctor first uses a special dye to locate the narrowed or blocked part of an artery. To deliver the dye, the doctor inserts a thin tube called a catheter into a small incision in the wrist or groin. Guided by x-rays, the cardiologist threads the catheter through the blood vessels to the heart.

Angioplasty

Once the blockage is identified, the cardiologist then threads a thin wire through the vessel, followed by a deflated balloon. Once the balloon reaches the blockage, it is inflated to open the artery.

Stent insertion

In most cases, a wire mesh tube, called a stent, is inserted to help hold the artery open. The stent is wrapped around the balloon and expands with it to restore blood flow. The stent stays in place when the catheters are removed.

Angioplasty and stent insertion can take between 30 minutes and two hours. It causes little pain, and patients usually receive sedation that leaves them sleepy during the procedure. An overnight hospital stay is usually required.

Categories: Cardiology,Heart Health