News tagged with angioplasty

Related topics: heart attack , coronary artery disease , myocardial infarction , coronary artery , patients



Angioplasty

Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel; typically as a result of atherosclerosis. Tightly folded balloons are passed into the narrowed locations and then inflated to a fixed size using water pressures some 75 to 500 times normal blood pressure (6 to 20 atmospheres).

The word is composed of the medical combining forms of the Greek words αγγειος aggeîos meaning "vessel" and πλαστός plastós meaning "formed" or "moulded". Angioplasty has come to include all manner of vascular interventions typically performed in a minimally invasive or percutaneous method.

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Evaluating a new way to open clogged arteries

Over the past few decades, scientists have developed many devices that can reopen clogged arteries, including angioplasty balloons and metallic stents. While generally effective, each of these treatments ...

Cardiology created May 21, 2013 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Team develops new method to assess options for heart-disease surgery

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a method of predicting which patients with heart disease would benefit more from surgery and which would benefit more from angioplasty.

Cardiology created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Improving heart attack response time

While all heart attacks have the potential to be deadly, one type is referred to as the "widow maker" because of its high risk of death. A ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a severe type of heart attack ...

Cardiology created Apr 29, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0