INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY

Coronary angiography is a minimally invasive procedure used to visualize the coronary arteries and identify narrowing or blockage.

A thin catheter is introduced through a blood vessel, most commonly through the wrist (radial artery), and advanced toward the heart.

Contrast material is then injected while X-ray imaging is performed.

Coronary angiography can help determine:

• Whether significant coronary artery disease is present
• The location and severity of coronary narrowing
• Whether angioplasty or stent treatment may be appropriate
• Whether further evaluation or another treatment strategy is required

The procedure is commonly performed through radial access (wrist) and can often be completed within a relatively short period of time (15 minutes). Patients are usually discharged from the hospital on the same day.

A coronary stent is a small expandable metal mesh structure implanted inside a coronary artery to help maintain vessel patency after angioplasty.

Modern coronary stents are usually drug-eluting stents, which release medication designed to reduce the risk of excessive tissue growth and restenosis.

Stent treatment can:

• Restore coronary blood flow
• Relieve ischemia-related symptoms
• Treat acute coronary artery blockage
• Reduce the risk associated with an acutely blocked coronary artery

A coronary stent does not cure the underlying process of atherosclerosis. Long-term cardiovascular risk-factor management remains essential after PCI. The procedure typically takes 30–60 minutes, and patients are generally discharged from the hospital the following day.