What procedure uses a catheter to compress a blockage and leaves a small mesh tube to keep the vessel propped open?

Answer

Angioplasty with stent placement

Angioplasty with stent placement is the hallmark procedure performed by interventional cardiologists to physically restore adequate blood flow through a significantly narrowed coronary artery. This intervention is minimally invasive, involving the threading of a catheter through blood vessels, often accessed through the wrist or groin, up to the site of the blockage. Once positioned, a balloon mounted on the catheter tip is inflated to compress the accumulated plaque against the artery wall, widening the vessel lumen. Crucially, a small mesh tube, known as a stent, is typically deployed and left in place after the balloon is deflated. The stent acts as a scaffold, mechanically supporting the vessel wall to prevent recoil and ensuring that the artery remains open for continuous blood flow to the heart muscle.

What procedure uses a catheter to compress a blockage and leaves a small mesh tube to keep the vessel propped open?

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