Angioplasty vs. Bypass Surgery: How Do Doctors Decide Which Is Needed?
When any of your arteries within the heart are diagnosed as blocked, the first dilemma that patients often face is choosing angioplasty vs. bypass surgery. However, when it comes to heart blockage treatment , the choice is not entirely based on percentage of blockage. Doctors usually consider the area of the blockage, the number of arteries affected, and the complexity of the coronary artery disease, and the health condition of the patient and individual risk factors. What is Angioplasty? Coronary angioplasty, also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a minimally invasive procedure used to open a narrowed or blocked coronary artery. A thin catheter is guided to the affected artery, where a balloon may be used to widen the narrowing. A stent placement thereafter helps keep the artery open. Angioplasty can be an effective option for selected patients, particularly when the blockages can be safely treated through a catheter-based procedure. What is Bypa...