Occlusive Disease Angioplasty and Stenting

Your surgeon may recommend angioplasty and stenting for occlusive (blocked) arteries to improve blood circulation in the legs. This minimally invasive procedure requires only local anaesthesia and intravenous sedation (relaxing medications). While surgical bypass is better for long segment occlusion, this therapy is good for short areas of narrowing or blockage.

During angioplasty, a long, thin tube, called a catheter, with a balloon attached to the end is inserted through an artery in the groin. Once the catheter reaches the blockage or narrowing, the balloon is inflated to widen the artery.

Sometimes, however, the use of the stent is also required. A stent is a tiny mesh-metal tube that is inserted to the point of occlusion. Once positioned, it is expanded to keep the artery wall from re-narrowing. A stent is left permanently in the artery to provide a reinforced channel through which blood can flow.

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