Angioplasty is used to widen narrowed or obstructed blood vessels, such as can be caused by peripheral artery disease.
To perform angioplasty, a balloon catheter is inserted into a vein or artery and guided through your circulatory system to the narrowed section of the artery or vein, then the balloon is expanded to compress plaque and widen the blood vessel. Once the vessel has been widened, a stent may be placed in the vessel to hold it open and prevent future problems.
"Angioplasty" is a word composed of the Greek words aggeios meaning "vessel", and plastos meaning "formed" or "molded".
Angioplasty is a catheter-based procedure that our doctors perform at our freestanding facility in Dayton, Ohio. The procedure takes about an hour and does not require a hospital stay.