What is an angioplasty? An angioplasty is a way of relieving a blockage in an artery, without having an operation. A fine plastic tube, called a catheter, is inserted through a blockage in an artery, and a special balloon on the catheter is then inflated, to open up the blockage and allow more blood to flow through it. Why do I need an angioplasty? Your doctors know that there is a problem with part of your circulation. You may already have had an angiogram, which has shown a blockage in an artery. While this might need treatment by surgery, in your case it has been decided that an angioplasty is the best way of proceeding. Who will be doing the angioplasty? A specially trained doctor called an interventional radiologist. Radiologists have special expertise in using x-ray equipment, and also in interpreting the images produced. They need to look at these images while carrying out the procedure. What actually happens during an angioplasty? The procedure starts off in exactly the same way as an angiogram, and if you have already had this performed, you will know what to expect. You will lie on the x-ray table, generally flat on your back. The interventional radiologist will give you a sedative. You may also have a monitoring device attached to your chest and finger, and may be given oxygen through small tubes in your nose. The radiologist will keep everything as sterile as possible, and may wear a surgical gown and operating gloves. The skin near the point of insertion, probably the groin, will be cleaned with antiseptic, and then most of the rest of your body covered with a sterile towel. The skin and deeper tissues over the artery will be anesthetized with local anesthetic, and then a needle will be inserted into the artery. Once the radiologist is satisfied that this is correctly positioned, a guide wire is placed through the needle, and into the artery. Then the needle is withdrawn allowing the thin, plastic tube (catheter) to be placed over the wire and into the artery. The radiologist will use the x-ray equipment to make sure that the catheter and the wire, are moved into the right position, very close to the blockage in the artery. Then the wire and the catheter will be moved so that they pass into the narrowed area, and the balloon is then inflated. This may need to be done several times in order for the narrowed area to open up sufficiently to improve the blood flow. The radiologist will check progress by injecting contrast medium down the catheter to show how much the narrowed artery has opened up. When he or she is satisfied that a good result has been obtained, the balloon is deflated and the catheter is removed. The radiologist will then press firmly on the skin entry point for several minutes, to prevent any bleeding. Are there any risks or complications? Angioplasty is a very safe procedure, but there are some risks and complications that can arise. There may occasionally be a small bruise, called a hematoma, around the site where the needle has been inserted, and this is quite normal. If this becomes a large bruise, then there is the risk of it getting infected, and this would then require treatment with antibiotics. Very rarely, some damage can be caused to the artery by the catheter, or the balloon, and this may need to be treated by surgery or another radiological procedure. Sometimes it is not possible to maneuver the wire through the blockage, and occasionally despite inflating the balloon several times, the narrowing is so severe that it does not open up as much as anticipated. The radiologist who is doing the procedure may be able to tell you if there are likely to be problems like this, for example, if the blockage is very long or difficult to get to. If the angioplasty is unsuccessful, then it may be necessary to have surgery to relieve the blockage. Despite these possible complications, the procedure is normally very safe, and is carried out with no significant side effects at all.