OhioHealth - OhioHealth Dimensions Winter 08/09

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Winter 08/09

A Closer Look at Angioplasty

Howard Levin, DO

After Steve suffered a heart attack, he followed a healthier diet, exercised regularly, took his prescriptions and got regular checkups. Still, an angiogram showed that, despite these changes, Steve had a blockage in one of his coronary arteries. His physician recommended an angioplasty to open the blockage and improve blood flow to Steve’s heart.

Angioplasty, a nonsurgical medical procedure that reduces the symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD), is performed on more than 1 million Americans each year. To help treat CAD and improve recovery, it’s also vital to adopt
healthy habits.

What Is Door-to-Balloon Time?

Studies show that during a heart attack, restoring blood flow to the heart muscle within 90 minutes of a patient’s arrival at the hospital (called door-to-balloon time) yields great benefits, including less heart damage and shorter hospital stays. At Doctors Hospital, the average door-to-balloon time is 60 minutes – beating the American Academy of Cardiology’s recommendation by half an hour. Doctors’ cardiac catheterization lab provides fast, quality care as soon as patients arrive, so seek medical help immediately if you or a loved one experiences:

Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing pain in the chest, lasting several minutes
Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms
Lightheadedness, fainting, sweating or shortness of breath, along with chest pain
Stomach or abdominal pain with chest pain
Nausea or dizziness and
chest pain
Unexplained anxiety, weakness or fatigue
Palpitations, cold sweat or paleness accompanied by
chest pain

Want to learn more about Doctors’ innovative cardiac care? Visit www.ohiohealth.com/doctors.

What Is an Angioplasty?
Arteries can become blocked or narrowed by deposits of fat and cholesterol, or plaque that builds up on artery walls. When the blockage is not too severe, angioplasty can open the artery. In traditional angioplasty, a flexible tube (or catheter) with a balloon on the end is inserted into a large blood vessel in the thigh or arm and threaded through the artery toward the blockage. The balloon is inflated to open the blocked vessel and restore blood flow. “Angioplasty is appropriate for patients with acute problems such as a heart attack and those with more chronic conditions such as angina,” says Howard Levin, DO, a cardiac specialist at Doctors Hospital.

In some cases, a stainless-steel mesh tube, or stent, is placed at the site of the blockage to keep the artery open. Some stents are coated with medication to prevent future narrowing and reduce the odds of needing repeated angioplasty in
the future.

Angioplasty can dramatically improve blood flow through the coronary arteries and heart in most patients, and may prevent the need for coronary artery bypass surgery. “For patients who have been experiencing chronic conditions, recovery time from the procedure can be as little as a few days,” says Dr. Levin.

How Healthy Is Your Heart?
Angioplasty can be a life-saving procedure but it does not cure the cause of blockages. To reduce your chances of needing an angioplasty – and to increase the procedure’s success – follow a healthy diet, be active, control high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol, and don’t smoke.

Talk to your physician about your personal risk factors for heart disease and how you can lower your risk. If you need a physician referral, call Doctors Hospital at (614) 566-DOCS (3627).

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