Transradial Catheterization Experts
Angioplasty and Stent Procedures
A method used to perform certain tests and procedures for diagnosing and treating coronary artery disease is called cardiac catheterization. A long, thin tube (called a catheter) is threaded through an artery or vein in the leg or arm and into the heart. Different things may happen during cardiac catheterization depending on what your doctor wants done. For instance, you may have angioplasty, which uses a balloon on the end of the catheter to open narrowed arteries in the heart. A stent may also be placed at the time of the procedure which is a small, mesh-like device made of metal that acts as a support, or scaffold, inside of a vessel.
Doctors can gain access to the heart’s arteries by placing the catheter in the femoral artery and threading it up and into the heart while performing these procedures. The femoral artery is a major artery in your groin area. Femoral artery access can cause many problems, such as bleeding at the puncture site and nerve damage, even though this is the typical method used. After their procedure, patients need to lie very still for at least 5 hours to make sure that the puncture site in the femoral artery does not start to bleed again.
Other routes can actually be used to reach the heart. The radial artery can be used, which is an artery in your wrist. It is much easier to apply direct pressure to the puncture site to stop the bleeding since the radial artery in the wrist is smaller than the femoral artery in the groin. The radial access does not cause as much discomfort as femoral access does for a majority of patients. Also, radial artery access allows many patients to get out of bed and walk around right after their procedure.
Heart Healthy in the Mountain Way Community
The Mountain Way Trail offers a dose of nature great for hiking and is accessible year round. Check out Mountain Way Park for a basketball or volleyball court with plenty of play areas for children. Enjoy a healthy breakfast of lunch at nearby shops such as Clean Juice or Freshii health food restaurant.