Heart disease is one of the most serious challenges to global health. The incidence of heart-related diseases and life-threatening conditions is steadily increasing. You may have frequently heard of cases of heart attacks and deaths at a young age.

Whenever it comes to heart attacks and cardiac arrest, you may have heard two terms frequently discussed: angiography and angioplasty. What are they, when are they used, and how do they help? If you have these questions, let's find the answers.

Learn about angiography and angioplasty.

Have you been considering angiography and angioplasty to be the same thing? During a conversation with Amar Ujala, Dr. Aniruddha Parasar, a cardiologist at a Delhi hospital, explained everything in simple terms.

Angiography is a test, and angioplasty is a treatment.
Angiography is performed to assess the risk of blockages in heart disease.

Angioplasty is a treatment procedure performed to restore function to a blocked heart artery.

Let's first understand angiography.

Dr. Parasar says angiography is a diagnostic method that helps detect blockages in blood vessels.

The image obtained during angiography, which determines the blockage, is called an angiogram.

Angiography involves inserting a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into the artery. This allows doctors to better visualize blockages or narrowing in the coronary artery.

When is angiography recommended?

This test is performed in the case of a myocardial infarction or heart attack.

This test is performed in the case of persistent angina, or chest pain. Angina is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart.
Doctors may also recommend this test for peripheral artery disease, which reduces blood circulation to your leg muscles.

Angiography is also recommended for people with brain aneurysms.

Angiography can help determine whether a person needs angioplasty.

Learn about angioplasty

Angioplasty is a procedure that helps open a blocked coronary artery. It involves widening the artery with a balloon or stent to restore blood circulation. Angioplasty is considered the most effective and life-saving treatment after a heart attack.

In this procedure, a small incision is made in one of the arteries near your wrist or groin under local anesthesia.

A catheter is inserted into the artery through this incision.

The catheter is then guided to the area requiring treatment.

The catheter has a balloon-like object attached to its tip. The balloon is inflated to remove plaque from the artery, clearing the blockage.
In patients who have had a heart attack, doctors insert a stent during this time. The stent expands the diameter of the blood vessel, allowing blood circulation to resume properly.

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