What is coronary angioplasty?1
Coronary angioplasty is a procedure used to open up clogged heart arteries. It is most commonly used to restore blood flow after a heart attack, or to relieve the symptoms of angina (which is chest pain or discomfort).2
The procedure is usually done in hospital. It involves passing a thin tube into an artery, and then inflating a small balloon or a wire mesh tube (a stent) inside the artery to keep it open.
In the medical world, this procedure is sometimes called:
percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
What is a stent?1
A stent is a wire mesh tube that can be inserted into an artery to help keep it open.
A stent can be inserted during a coronary angioplasty procedure, and it stays in the artery after the procedure is complete.
A stent is not always required to keep the artery open. Sometimes it's enough to simply inflate the balloon to stretch the artery, and then remove the tube.