PCI
Percutaneous coronary intervention refers to the treatment of narrowing in the heart arteries (coronary arteries) with the use of fine wires, balloons and stents (see below). As in an angiogram a small hollow tube is passed from the artery in the leg or the arm into the coronary arteries. A fine wire is then passed through this tube and into the artery. It is then carfully passed through the narrowing in the artery using X-rays to check the position of the wire. A balloon is then threaded over this wire and then used to stretch the narrowing open. A stent is a hollow tube of a fine metal mesh that is then inserted across the narrowing to prevent recurrence of the narrowing of the artery in the future.
This procedure can be used routinely to treat stable angina and chest pain. It is either performed as a day case procedure or requires an overnight stay in the hospital.
It can also be performed as an emergency procedure to unblock an artery that has suddenly become blocked as occurs in a heart attack. PCI is now the preferred treatment of a heart attack and has replaced the use of ‘clot –busting’ drugs.