Angioplasty and Stent Placement X-Ray Medical Group’s interventional and neurointerventional radiologists offer a variety of procedures to treat disease of the blood vessels.  These procedures are performed at Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, California, and include angioplasty, stent placement, atherectomy, thrombolysis, embolization and cavel filter placement.

What is Angioplasty and when is it performed?

Angioplasty is a procedure designed to treat narrowed or blocked arteries or veins almost anywhere in the body.  The procedure is performed in conjunction with angiography (see “Angiograhy”).  Intravenous sedative medications and local anesthetic agents are given to assure patient comfort.  A small plastic tube (catheter) is placed into an artery or vein, usually in the groin or arm.  Using a fluoroscopy (x-ray) camera, the catheter is positioned at a narrowed or blocked blood vessel.  A balloon mounted at the end of the catheter is inflated to open the artery or vein and the catheter is then removed.  The procedure is performed when narrowings or blockages in a blood vessel produce problems such as leg pain with walking, swelling of an extremity, high blood pressure, poor kidney function, abdominal pain, or stroke symptoms.

What is Stent Placement and when is it performed?

Stent placement is a technique related to angioplasty.  A specialized metallic tube, the stent, is left in place within a blood vessel treated with angioplasty.  In certain situations this increases the likelihood that the blood vessel will remain open for a long period of time.  Stents are often used to treat diseased blood vessels in the pelvis, kidneys, abdomen, and neck.

What is Atherectomy and when is it performed?

Atherectomy is another technique related to angioplasty.  In this procedure, a specialized catheter removes abnormal tissue (atherosclerotic plaque) from the inside of a narrowed or blocked artery thereby improving blood flow.  Atherectomy is often used to treat diseased arteries in the thigh and calf of patients with leg pain or non-healing foot ulcers.

What is Thrombolysis and when is it performed?

In Thrombolysis, a specialized catheter is introduced into an artery or vein blocked by a blood vessel clot.  The catheter either mechanically eliminates the clot or introduces a medication that dissolves the clot.  This technique is often used in the arms or legs Thrombolysis is also used in special circumstances to treat clots in the lungs and brain.

What is Embolization and when is it performed?

In Embolization, small particles, medications, or metal “coils” are introduced through a catheter to block a blood vessel.  The techniques is used to treat a variety of problems including intestinal bleeding, cancer of the liver, kidney or head, benign tumors of the uterus (fibroids), abnormally dilated blood vessels at the base of the brain (aneurysms), or blood vessel malformations.

What is Cavel Filter Placement and when is it performed?

A cavel filter is a metallic device designed to trap blood clots.  It is positioned in a large vein in the abdomen through a catheter placed into a vein in the groin or neck.  The filter traps blood clots forming in the legs and pelvis that dislodge before they travel to the lung arteries where they can create serious problems.

For more information on Angiography