Tag Archives: cardiac

Coronary Angioplasty


Coronary angioplasty is a non-surgical procedure used to widen coronary arteries with cholesterol plaques. It can also be performed as an emergency treatment for heart attack (myocardial infarction). 

The first part of the procedure is to localize the site of blockage (Fig. 1). This part is called cardiac catheterization and can be performed without subsequent angioplasty, i.e. just for diagnostic purposes.

Below is a narrated animation about myocardial infarction, cardiac catheterization and coronary angioplasty. Click here to license this video and/or other cardiovascular related videos on Alila Medical Media website.

A catheter (guiding catheter) is inserted through the femoral artery at the groin, or less commonly, through the radial artery in the arm (Fig. 1 and 2) and threaded all the way to the aorta. The tip of the catheter is placed at the beginning of the coronary artery to be investigated (it does not go inside the artery). A radio-opaque dye is injected through the catheter into the coronary artery. This enables real-time visualization of the artery using X-ray imaging. A narrowed part of an artery would appear as a bottle neck on an x-ray image (Fig.1).

Click here to see an animation of cardiac catheterization on Alila Medical Media website where the video is also available for licensing.

Cardiac catheterization
Fig. 1: Cardiac catheterization procedure for diagnosis of blocked site. Click on image to see a larger version on Alila Medical Media website where the image is also available for licensing.

 

 

 

After the location of stenosis (narrowed artery) is identified, angioplasty can begin. A thin guidewire with radio-opaque tip is inserted inside the guiding catheter and threaded past it into the location of plaque. Reminder : the guiding catheter stops at the start of coronary artery, but the guidewire would go further into it and to the location of blockage. An angioplasty catheter (a catheter with deflated balloon) is then inserted in such a way that the guidewire now is inside of it. The balloon is pushed to the location of blockage where it would be inflated and thus crushing the plaque (see Fig. 2 and 3). At the end of procedure, the balloon is again deflated and removed together with all catheters and guidewire.

Click here to see an animation of balloon angioplasty on Alila Medical Media website where the video is also available for licensing.
Coronary angioplasty
Fig. 2: Coronary angioplasty procedure. Click on image to see a larger version on Alila Medical Media website where the image is also available for licensing.


Balloon angioplasty procedure
Fig. 3: Balloon angioplasty procedure. The guidewire is the thin line that goes past the plaque. The guiding catheter is (of course) NOT on this picture as it stays outside of the coronary artery. Click on image to see a larger version on Alila Medical Media website where the image is also available for licensing.

 

 

 

In some cases, a stent is inserted together with the balloon (Fig. 4), inflated and left on place of the plaque to keep the artery open permanently. The stent can be bare-metal (the original version) or drug-eluting (newer versions). Bare-metal stents simply provide a mechanical support.  Drug-eluting stents are coated with various drugs that are released over time and act to prevent tissue growth at the site and/or modulate inflammatory response. The benefit of using stents is still debatable.
Stent angioplasty procedure
Fig. 4: Stent angioplasty procedure. Click on image to see a larger version on Alila Medical Media website where the image is also available for licensing.

 

 

 

 

Click here to see an animation of stent angioplasty on Alila Medical Media website where the video is also available for licensing.

                                                                           > See all Circulatory topics

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Heart, Blood and Circulation Gallery

Download illustrations of human circulatory system: gross anatomy, cardiac cycle, heart diseases and congenital defects, cardiovascular conditions and surgery treatment, blood cell formation, vascular disorders, and more.

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Blood flow in vessel, medical drawing.
Blood flow in vessel, medical drawing.
Red blood cells streaming in artery
Elements of blood, medical drawing.
Elements of blood, medical drawing.
Illustration of red and white blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, platelets, basophil, eosinophil, neutrophil.
Atherosclerosis, unlabeled.
Atherosclerosis, unlabeled.
Blood clot forms on cholesterol plaque in artery blocking blood flow.
Atherosclerosis, labeled.
Atherosclerosis, labeled.
Blood clot forms on cholesterol plaque, blocked artery.
Process of cholesterol plaque in artery, unlabeled
Process of cholesterol plaque in artery, unlabeled
Diagram showing process of cholesterol plaque in artery, unlabeled version.
Stages of Atherosclerosis
Stages of Atherosclerosis
Process of cholesterol plaque build-up in artery, labeled diagram.
Leukemia versus normal blood count, illustration.
Leukemia versus normal blood count, illustration.
Cancer of blood, Anemia, medical drawing.
Brain stroke diagrams
Brain stroke diagrams
Ischemic versus Hemorrhagic brain stroke, unlabeled.
Blood supply to the brain diagram
Blood supply to the brain diagram
Lateral view of the brain with middle cerebral artery, unlabeled.
Stages of atherosclerosis diagram
Stages of atherosclerosis diagram
Cholesterol plaque build-up in blood vessel and formation of blood clot cause blockage of blood flow, labeled.
Clipart of healthcare icon (cardiology)
Clipart of healthcare icon (cardiology)
Magnifying glass on an ECG graph diagram
Cardiac arrhythmias ECG/ EKG set diagram.
Cardiac arrhythmias ECG/ EKG set diagram.
Normal and pathological electrocardiograms in heart diseases.
EKG and myocardium function diagram
EKG and myocardium function diagram
Phases of electrical activity of human heart, ECG cycle.
Myocardial infarction diagram (heart attack)
Myocardial infarction diagram (heart attack)
Coronary artery blocked by cholesterol plaque causing heart stroke.
Human heart blood flow
Human heart blood flow
Illustration of blood flow through the heart, labeled
Human heart blood flow
Human heart blood flow
Illustration of blood flow through the heart, unlabeled
Blood supply to the heart unlabeled diagram
Blood supply to the heart unlabeled diagram
Coronary arteries illustration, anterior view of the heart
Blood supply to the heart labeled diagram
Blood supply to the heart labeled diagram
Coronary arteries illustration, anterior view of the heart
Human heart cut, medical illustration.
Human heart cut, medical illustration.
Heart anatomy diagram, unlabeled.
Left ventricular hypertrophy labeled diagram
Left ventricular hypertrophy labeled diagram
Thickening of the myocardium of left ventricle of human heart.
Electrical pathways of the heart, unlabeled
Electrical pathways of the heart, unlabeled
The cardiac conduction system of human heart, unlabeled version.
Heart valves operation, unlabeled diagram.
Heart valves operation, unlabeled diagram.
Cycles of heart valves operation pumping blood through different chambers, aorta and veins.
Electrical pathways of the heart
Electrical pathways of the heart
The cardiac conduction system of human heart, labeled version.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm diagram
Abdominal aortic aneurysm diagram
Aneurysm in aorta of the abdomen and bleeding risk.
Deep vein thrombosis diagram
Deep vein thrombosis diagram
Abnormal blood clotting in deep leg vein and formation of thrombus.
Tetralogy of Fallot diagram
Tetralogy of Fallot diagram
Congenital heart disease: Tetralogy of Fallot, labeled
Ventricular septal heart defect diagram.
Ventricular septal heart defect diagram.
Congenital heart disease: ventricular septal defect, hole in the septum between ventricles, unlabeled.
Balloon angioplasty procedure diagram
Balloon angioplasty procedure diagram
Heart cath procedure with balloon to widen artery with plaque
Heart and lungs diagram unlabeled
Heart and lungs diagram unlabeled
Human lungs and heart anatomy, unlabeled.
Thorax anatomy unlabeled diagram.
Thorax anatomy unlabeled diagram.
Human heart cross section and lungs anatomy.
Biofeedback regulation of heart rate, medical illustration.
Biofeedback regulation of heart rate, medical illustration.
Regulation of blood pressure through baroreflex, unlabeled version.
Biofeedback regulation of heart rate, labeled.
Biofeedback regulation of heart rate, labeled.
Regulation of blood pressure through baroreflex, labeled version.
Blood supply to the head and neck, labeled drawing.
Blood supply to the head and neck, labeled drawing.
Diagram of human head anatomy with arteries including internal carotid supplying the brain, lateral (side) view, labeled.
Blood supply to the brain, coronal section.
Blood supply to the brain, coronal section.
Middle cerebral artery anatomy and distribution, labeled diagram.
Metastatic cancer, medical drawing.
Metastatic cancer, medical drawing.
Cancer cell squeezes through the endothelium of blood and lymph vessel, illustration unlabeled.
Human circulatory system diagram
Human circulatory system diagram
Anatomy of human circulation system, unlabeled.
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