The coronary arteries carry blood to the heart muscle. Fatty deposits called plaque build up in their walls and can narrow the space for blood to flow. If too little oxygen reaches the muscle, you may get chest pain or discomfort called angina.
Angioplasty uses a small balloon to widen the narrowed section. A metal mesh tube called a stent is usually expanded there to hold it open after the balloon comes out, and blood flows through the centre of the stent. Doctors also call this procedure percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI.
Call triple zero (000) for severe, worsening or persistent chest pain, or chest discomfort with breathlessness, sweating, nausea or pain spreading to your arm, jaw or back.
Do not wait for a routine appointment or drive yourself to hospital.
Angioplasty takes place in a hospital procedure room with X-ray equipment, and you're usually awake. Local anaesthetic numbs the wrist or groin where the doctor enters the artery, and you may have medicine to help you relax. Staff monitor your heart throughout.
Staff control bleeding at the wrist or groin and monitor you during recovery. Some people go home the same day; others stay overnight or longer, particularly after a heart attack.
Angioplasty may help when a narrowed artery restricts blood flow and angina is limiting everyday activity. The aim is to improve the blood supply and relieve symptoms. Medicines can also treat angina, so finding a narrowing doesn't automatically mean you need a stent.
A coronary angiogram shows the location and extent of the narrowing. The cardiologist uses these pictures, along with your symptoms and other test results, to judge whether to continue medicines, treat the narrowing with angioplasty or consider bypass surgery, which creates another route for blood around the blockage.
A clot can suddenly block a coronary artery and cut off blood to part of the heart, and angioplasty may then be used urgently to reopen the artery and limit heart muscle damage. The hospital chooses treatment according to the type of heart attack and your condition. You don't need a referral or a Heartscope appointment for emergency care.
Blood can clot on the surface of a newly placed stent and block the artery again. Antiplatelet medicines make platelets, the blood cells involved in clotting, less likely to stick together. You may need two antiplatelet medicines together for a time. The hospital gives you a plan explaining which medicines to take and for how long.
Don't stop or change them without speaking with the doctor who manages them, even if you feel well. Contact that doctor about bleeding, troublesome side effects or an upcoming operation. Dentists and other treating doctors also need to know about your stent and medicines.
A stent treats one area but doesn't cure coronary heart disease. Cholesterol-lowering medicine, treatment for high blood pressure or diabetes, and stopping smoking can help reduce further heart problems. Cardiac rehabilitation combines exercise, education and support to help you return to activity and understand ongoing treatment. Your hospital or cardiologist can refer you to a program.
Follow the hospital's instructions about eating, drinking and your usual medicines. Tell the team about kidney problems, previous reactions to contrast dye and all medicines you take. Don't change medicines yourself.
You'll need someone to take you home. Before leaving, make sure you know how to care for the wrist or groin wound and whom to contact with concerns. The hospital will also tell you when you can return to driving, work and exercise. Recovery after a heart attack can take longer than recovery after planned angioplasty.
Bruising, soreness or bleeding can occur where the catheter entered the artery. Other risks include a reaction to contrast dye, kidney problems, artery damage, a clot inside the stent or narrowing that returns later. Serious complications such as a heart attack or stroke are rare. The hospital doctor will discuss your individual risks before you consent.
If the wrist or groin starts bleeding heavily or swelling rapidly after you get home, call triple zero (000).
Your GP or specialist can refer you to a Heartscope cardiologist to discuss coronary heart disease, treatment options or care after a hospital procedure. Bring any hospital reports so the cardiologist can see what's already been done. The clinic can answer questions about the appointment.
Consultations are privately billed. If you're eligible, Medicare pays part of the consultation fee when you have a valid referral from your GP or specialist. The clinic will confirm the amount left to pay before the visit.
Angioplasty takes place in hospital, so hospital and procedure fees are separate from the Heartscope consultation. The hospital or treating provider confirms those fees.
Heartscope cardiologists see patients at clinics in Melbourne and Queensland. If you have a referral, our team can confirm the location and appointment details.
View clinic locationsNo. They're done in hospital. Heartscope cardiologists may be able to see patients with a valid referral from their GP or specialist, and can refer you for hospital treatment when appropriate.
An angiogram takes pictures of the arteries; angioplasty treats a narrowing. They sometimes happen during the same hospital visit, so the doctor should discuss possible treatment and your consent beforehand.
It's a stent that releases medicine into the artery wall to reduce tissue overgrowth, which can narrow the artery again. That medicine does a different job from your antiplatelet tablets, which help prevent blood clots inside the stent. You still need to take the tablets as prescribed.
Tell your doctor about new or changing symptoms so they can be checked. Follow the urgent-care advice on this page for severe, worsening or persistent chest pain.
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