Surgeries and Procedures for Atherosclerosis

Surgeries and procedures for atherosclerosis include Angioplasty, Stent placement, Coronary Artery Bypass surgery, Carotid artery surgery and Atherectomy. Such procedures may involve the use of medical devices such as stent and drug-eluting stent or a cardiac angioplasty or atherectomy device.

Angioplasty is a procedure to open blocked or narrowed coronary (heart) arteries and can improve the blood flow to the heart, relieve chest pain, and possibly prevent a heart attack. Sometimes a small mesh tube called a stent is placed in the artery to keep it open after the procedure.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a type of surgery - where arteries or veins from other areas in the body are used to bypass the narrowed coronary arteries. CABG can improve blood flow to your heart, relieve chest pain, and possibly prevent a heart attack.

Bypass grafting also can be used for leg arteries - with this surgery, a healthy blood vessel is used to bypass a narrowed or blocked blood vessel in one of the legs, the healthy blood vessel redirects blood around the artery, improving blood flow to the leg.

Carotid artery surgery removes plaque build-up from the carotid arteries in the neck, opens the arteries and improves blood flow to the brain. Carotid artery surgery can help prevent a stroke.

Depending on their condition a doctor may refer a patient with Atherosclerosis to a cardiologist (a doctor who specializes in treating people with heart problems) if they have coronary artery disease (CAD) - or a vascular specialist (a doctor who specializes in treating people with blood vessel problems) if they have peripheral arterial disease (PAD) - or a neurologist (a doctor who specializes in treating people with disorders of the nervous system) if they have had a stroke due to carotid artery disease.

Further Reading

Last Updated: May 29, 2019

Comments

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
Post

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

You might also like...
Understanding cardiovascular risks in endometriosis patients