This information is approved and/or reviewed by U-M Health System providers but it is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for medical treatment. You should speak to your physician or make an appointment to be seen if you have questions or concerns about this information or your medical condition.
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UMHS Related Sites:
Cardiac Catheterization and Intervention Services
University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center
Vascular Angioplasty
Arteries can become blocked or narrowed when plaque builds up in an artery wall in an arm, leg, neck or to an organ such as the kidneys. Angioplasty is a procedure in which a balloon catheter is inserted into the artery to unblock it.
Angioplasty is used to treat:
- Peripheral vascular disease - blocked arteries in the limbs, especially the legs
- Carotid artery disease - narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels in your neck
- Visceral artery disease – blocked arteries to the organs, particulary the kidneys
The benefits of angioplasty are that:
- It can restore blood flow in the artery without major surgery.
- It does not require replacing blood vessels in one part of your body with blood vessels removed from another part of your body (as is often necessary in bypass surgery).
- It can be performed without using general anesthesia.
If the blocked artery supplies blood to the body, the procedure is called a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). During the procedure, the catheter is inserted into a blood vessel either of the arm or groin. The catheter is pushed through the blood vessel to the blockage in the artery. Inflating a balloon at the tip of the catheter stretches the narrowed artery. The stretching of the artery greatly improves blood flow through the artery. Often, a metal device called a stent is left in the artery to improve chances that the blood vessel will stay open.
