Coronary arteries are the major blood vessels that carry blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the heart. Coronary artery disease develops when your coronary artery gets damaged or afflicted. The building up of plaques causes the arteries to become narrow, thereby decreasing the flow of blood to the heart. Gradually, the decrease in the flow of blood may result in angina or chest pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. If there is a complete blockage, it may result in a heart attack.

Coronary artery disease gets developed over decades, and, therefore, can go unnoticed until the last phase of heart attack. Timely medication and preventive actions contribute a great deal. You could start by committing to a healthy lifestyle.

Coronary angioplasty also called percutaneous coronary intervention or Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), is a procedure used to open clogged heart arteries. Angioplasty involves temporarily inserting and inflating a tiny balloon where your artery is clogged to help widen the artery.

Angioplasty is often combined with the permanent placement of a small wire mesh tube called a stent to help prop the artery open and decrease its chance of narrowing again. Some stents are coated with medication to help keep your artery open (drug-eluting stents), while others are not (bare-metal stents).

Angioplasty can improve symptoms of blocked arteries, such as chest pain and shortness of breath. Angioplasty can also be used during a heart attack to quickly open a blocked artery and reduce the amount of damage to your heart.