The American Heart Association describes cardiac catheterization as a procedure in physicians insert a long hollow thin tube into a blood vessel, and threads it through the blood vessels to the heart or the arteries connected to the heart. After...
The coronary arteries are those blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with the blood, oxygen and nutrients necessary to keep it functioning. These blood vessels can become blocked with fatty buildup of plaque in a process called...
The arteries, the largest blood vessels in the body, are part of the cardiovascular system. They function to carry oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood to all the tissues and organs. The arteries, including the vessels in the heart, neck and legs, can...
As soon as you suspect that you might have an arterial embolism, you need to go to the hospital. A blockage of the arteries is a very serious matter, and can lead to tissue damage, organ failure or even death. The earlier you are admitted to a...
According to the Mayo Clinic, "peripheral artery disease, also known as peripheral arterial disease, is a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to your limbs." Proper treatment is necessary with peripheral...
Renal artery stents are treatment options when the blood vessels that feed the kidney are narrowed or have a clot. This reduces the ability of the kidneys to clear the blood stream of waste products and toxins. Renal artery stenosis or renal...
A stent is a tiny metal or fabric tube that is used to keep clogged arteries open or to shore up weakened arteries, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, or NHLBI. Stents are sometimes coated with drugs that help keep arteries...
A stent is a small tube made of metal mesh or fabric. It is used to add support or structure to damaged arteries, or to keep narrowed arteries open typically following a balloon angioplasty. Some stents have a medicated coating to prevent the...
Acute strokes occur in the brain without much warning. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly more than 795,000 Americans suffer from strokes annually. Of these patients, up to 30 percent remain permanently disabled....
Treatment for blocked arteries in the legs, or peripheral artery disease, will involve consulting a physician to assess the degree of obstruction and symptoms the patient is experiencing. According to VascularWeb, the physician will first run...
There are numerous medications available to address hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Which medication you take depends on what is causing your arteries to harden. If, for example, high blood pressure is the major contributing factor,...
Getting yourself to the closest hospital or emergency room is the first thing you need to do when you suspect you may have an arterial embolism. When an embolus blocks the flow of blood to one of your vital organs, the function of the organ...
Dilatation or ballooning out of an artery is also known as an angioplasty. An angioplasty is performed to treat narrowed or blocked arteries. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, more than 1 million people in the U.S. have an...
Your carotid arteries are the primary lines of blood supply to your brain. When enough plaque builds up in them to block some of the blood flow, you have carotid artery disease. It is very dangerous, because if left untreated, it can lead to...
An estimated 785,000 Americans will suffer their first heart attack in 2010, predicts the American Heart Association. Timeliness of treatment and the extent of damage caused by the heart attack determine whether a non-surgical or surgical heart...
Ischemic types of stokes are caused by a thrombus or embolus. A blood clot in an area outside of the brain, such as the heart or neck, dislodges from its site of origin and circulates through the bloodstream toward the brain, where it blocks off a...
The word catheterization means to slip a tube into an organ. For example, a bladder catheterization is the passage of a tube--a catheter--through the urethra into the bladder. The most common invasive procedure done on the heart is a cardiac...
The first cardiac catheterization boldly performed by Dr. Werner Forssmann, on himself, in 1929, marked the beginning of non-invasive heart surgery. Today, this procedure is primarily used to diagnose heart conditions and treat plaque buildup in...
As the field of medicine advances, specialties such as interventional radiology have become more prominent. Interventional radiology is an integral part of the minimally invasive trend, which allows for treatments and operations that require very...
Cardiac catheterization involves the passage of a catheter into a blood vessel in the leg or arm. The catheter is guided through the blood vessels into the cardiac chambers and coronary arteries. Doctors use cardiac catheterization to perform...
Arteriosclerosis, also known as atherosclerosis, refers to a hardening of the arteries that prevents smooth blood flow through your body. According to the Mayo Clinic, a fatty substance called cholesterol forms plaque and builds up in your blood...
Peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition that affects the arteries of the arms or legs, is similar to coronary artery disease in the heart. PAD is generally caused by atherosclerosis, which is the fatty buildup of plaque within the walls of...
A deep-vein thrombosis, or DVT, is an abnormal blood clot that blocks blood flow in a large vein. DVTs in the arm cause pain, swelling, discoloration and occasionally weakness. Clot fragments can break off and travel to the lungs, causing...
Arteries are the major vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of your body. Over the course of time, they have a tendency to become hard and thick, due to stress, smoking and other reasons.This is a condition called arteriosclerosis....
Coronary angioplasty and stent implantation are two of the most common procedures performed in the United States. The procedure is not surgery. It is a catheterization. A small hollow tube is inserted in to the femoral (leg) or radial (wrist)...
Peripheral artery disease, also called PAD, is a type of peripheral vascular disease characterized by blockages in the arteries that are the result of a buildup of plaque. These blockages compromise circulation to the arms, legs, feet, stomach and...
The treatments for ischemic heart disease include medications, lifestyle changes, balloon angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery. The aim of these four types of treatment is to improve the flow of blood through the coronary arteries, which...
One of the most important things you should do after a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, is to quit smoking. Daily consumption of nicotine and carcinogens can more than double your risk of stroke. Regular contact with secondhand smoke puts you...
Coronary arteries carry oxygen and nutrients to the heart, fueling the heart muscle. If disease or constriction of those arteries stops a healthy flow of blood, it can cause permanent damage to the heart muscle or a heart attack. The American...
