Angioplasty

Angioplasty has become one of the most common procedures employed by doctors treating patients with artery obstruction, which puts them at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Chances are good that you know somebody who has had angioplasty, or someone whose life has been affected by it.

Angioplasty is a treatment for clogged arteries in which balloons are passed through narrow or obstructed areas of the blood vessels in order to push them out and widen them. Water pressure is then used to inflate the area, often 75 to 500 times normal blood pressure. There are several different variations on the procedure for specific areas in the human body.

Peripheral Angioplasty

Also known as PTA, peripheral angioplasty is a procedure in which blood vessels other than coronary arteries are widened. These are most commonly the large arteries in the legs, although it is not uncommon for veins to be treated this way as well.

Coronary Angioplasty

In this form of angioplasty, the coronary arteries surrounding the heart are inflated. These arteries are usually associated with coronary heart disease, the most common form of heart disease in America. Coronary heart disease is a condition in which the heart is not provided with enough blood to properly function.

Angioplasty is also commonly performed on the carotid artery and the renal artery.

Contact Us

While angioplasty surgery has become quite common today, like all medical procedures, there is the possibility of human error. If you or someone you love has experienced health problems after undergoing angioplasty, contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., by calling 215-238-1130.