Angioplasty & Stent Placement in NYC
What is angioplasty and stent placement?
Angioplasty and stent placement is a procedure that can help widen constricted or blocked blood vessels in your legs to restore blood flow. Angioplasty and stent placement can be used to expand arteries located in your:
- Hip or pelvis
- Thigh
- Behind your knee
- Lower leg
What does an angioplasty and stent placement procedure involve?
Angioplasty and stent placement involves your doctor widening the blocked artery of your leg using a medical balloon and stent. Before the angioplasty and stent procedure begins, your doctor may give you certain relaxant medications. Your doctor will then have you lie down on an operating table and local anesthesia will be administered. Once you are comfortable and relaxed, your doctor will gently move a thin medical device, called a catheter, through your artery and to the site of blockage in your artery. Using additional medical instruments, your doctor will then carefully guide a medical balloon to the site of the obstruction. The medical balloon is then inflated to help expand the blocked artery and restore normal blood flow.
Your doctor may place a stent, which is a medical tube made of mesh, in the affected artery. The stent is left in your artery to prevent the artery from constricting again in the future.
Recovery time after angioplasty and stent placement will vary from patient to patient. Generally, you should be able to go home within a few days of surgery.
What are the benefits and risks of angioplasty and stent placement?
The benefits of angioplasty and stent placement are that it may help alleviate the following:
- Symptoms that interfere with your daily life or activities
- Leg ulcers that are unable to heal
- Gangrene or an infection of your leg
- Pain in your leg, even while at rest
After angioplasty and stent placement, you may experience pain or numbness in your leg due to nerve damage. Other risks may include:
- Allergic reaction to medications used during the procedure
- Formation of blood clots in the legs or lungs
- Trauma to blood vessels
- Infection near the area of an incision
Speak with your doctor to learn more about the risks and benefits of angioplasty and stent placement.
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