Peripheral Angioplasty

Peripheral angioplasty is a procedure to reopen blood vessels to allow oxygen-rich blood to flow smoothly through the vessel. This is an attractive alternative to open surgical bypass because it offers a smaller incision, faster healing times, and a reduced risk of complications. During peripheral angioplasty, a physician threads a catheter with a balloon on the end through a small nick in your groin or wrist (radial access) and gently guides the catheter to the site of the blockage. Once the catheter is in place, the balloon is then inflated and deflated repeatedly, which flattens the plaque and restores normal blood flow through your artery. In many cases, once the blood vessel has been widened, the physician inserts a stent. A stent is a tiny mesh-like wire tube that acts as scaffolding to hold the artery open.