What is Atherectomy/Angioplasty of Noncoronary Vessel?

Atherectomy and angioplasty are methods that can be used to open arteries without surgery.

There are several different devices that can be threaded through blood vessels to the site of a narrowing or occlusion. Once there, these devices remove the obstruction so that blood flow is restored.

Balloon Angioplasty © 2009 Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Most often, these procedures are done when an artery is narrowed by atherosclerosis . If the artery is too narrow, blood is no longer able to pass through. The body part then suffers from ischemia (lack of oxygen). This can cause different symptoms, depending on the part of the body that is not getting enough oxygen.

Possible Complications

If you are planning to have an atherectomy or angioplasty, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• The artery may close again after the procedure

• Damage to the artery

• Bleeding

• Infection

Some factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Your overall health or illness

• Extent of disease in your arteries

• Blood clotting problems

Be sure to tell your doctor if you are allergic to shellfish, iodine, or contrast dye.

Call Your Doctor

Depending on the site of your procedure, call your doctor if you experience the following:

• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge at the point of catheter insertion
• Signs of infection, including...