Balloons and stents are devices used in minimally invasive techniques to treat arterial blockages.

Arteriosclerosis is a build up of plaque within a blood vessel that may eventually lead to circulation problems. This build up of plaque can occur in blood vessels throughout the body. When these blockages become significant, they can cause symptoms and require treatment.

Treatment for arterial blockages traditionally involved an operation with incisions and lengthy hospital stays. Patients would have their surgery and spend several days in the hospital recuperating. The recovery period would take several weeks and patients sometimes required physical therapy to return to their normal activity level. Today, we are able to treat these blockages using minimally invasive techniques. These less invasive techniques can now treat vascular conditions without an operation, lengthy hospital stays or an incision. These minimally invasive procedures can be performed in an outpatient setting with most patients returning to their normal activity level within a day.

Minimally invasive vascular procedures or endovascular surgery, as it is sometimes called, are performed by using wires and catheters to treat arterial blockages from within the blood vessels. These catheters and wires can be inserted directly into an artery without an incision. Once the catheter is inside the artery, special balloons can then be inserted into the artery overlying the area of blockage. Once positioned in the proper location, the balloon is then inflated. This will unblock the artery and allow blood to pass through unimpeded. When the balloon is deflated, the artery will sometimes show a residual narrowing that is not quite as severe as the original blockage, but not completely back to normal. When this occurs a stent, which is a wire mesh tube, can be inserted during this same procedure. The stent is directed in exactly the same manner using the wires and catheters already in place. Once deployed inside the artery, the stent will allow the artery to maintain its normal caliber keeping the artery open.

The treatment of arterial blockages has changed dramatically over the last decade. Patients who once required long tedious operations can now be treated using balloons and stents as an outpatient procedure. These balloons and stents have significantly changed the treatment of arterial blockages while diminishing the recovery period. Patients with vascular insufficiency can now benefit from these minimally invasive techniques that utilize balloons and stents.