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Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), commonly known as coronary angioplasty or simply angioplasty, is a non-surgical procedure used to treat the stenotic (narrowed) coronary arteries of the heart found in coronary heart disease. These stenotic segments are due to the buildup of the cholesterol-laden plaques that form due to atherosclerosis. PCI is usually performed by an interventional cardiologist, though it was developed and originally performed by interventional radiologists. During PCI, a cardiologist feeds a deflated balloon or other device on a catheter from the inguinal femoral artery or radial artery up through blood vessels until they reach the site of blockage in the heart. X-ray imaging is used to guide the catheter threading. At the blockage, the balloon is inflated to open the artery, allowing blood to flow. A stent is often placed at the site of blockage to permanently open the artery. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), commonly known as ''Heart Bypass'', which bypasses stenotic arteries by grafting vessels from elsewhere in the body, is an alternative treatment. However, the coronary revascularization by CABG is associated with an increased risk of stroke. Most studies have found that CABG is better than PCI for reducing death and myocardial infarction. PCI has proven to be as effective and less costly than CABG in patients with medically refractory myocardial ischemia. ==Medical uses== PCI does not have any benefit over taking appropriate medications for those with stable coronary artery disease. In those with unstable disease, however, it is beneficial.〔 Bare-metal stents (BMSs) and drug-eluting stents (DESs) result in an equivalent chance of death when used for primary angioplasty of ST elevation myocardial infarction. Cobalt-chromium stents which elute everolimus appear to clot off less often than other types of stents, including bare metal stents. In those who have had a stent more than 12 months of clopidogrel plus aspirin does not affect the risk of death. If used longer there is about 0.8% fewer MIs but 0.6% more major bleeds and possibly and increase in deaths. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Percutaneous coronary intervention」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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