Details.
A treatment for tight narrowings in the coronary arteries that affect blood supply to the heart. Under local anaesthetic, a flexible tube is passed from the wrist or groin to the coronary artery using X-ray guidance. A balloon is inflated at the narrowing and, in nearly all patients, a stent is inserted to help keep the artery open. Patients must not eat or drink for 4 to 6 hours beforehand. In straightforward elective cases, patients may go home the same day or stay overnight. Strenuous activity should be avoided for the following days and patients should not drive for one week.
