PTA of brachiocephalic arteries is endovascular treatment in patients with significant narrowing of the carotid and vertebral arteries, as well as with significant narrowing or complete occlusion of the subclavian arteries and brachiocephalic trunk. Carotid artery PTA is described in a separate text posted on our website.
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia by accessing the narrowing through the arteries of the legs or arms, while the control is performed using X – rays in the angio room, with the injection of iodine contrast agent. Agioplasty represents the expansion of the wall of an obstructed or narrowed blood vessel using a special medical balloon. The balloon is placed inside the lumen of the blood vessel. It is then inflated thus pushing the plaque against the wall of the artery while expanding its lumen. In cases when angioplasty alone is not enough to solve the narrowing in the arteries of the leg, one or more stents can be implanted. A stent is a metal tube placed inside a blood vessel, along an arterial wall which prevents it from narrowing again. At the end of the procedure, manual compression or a special type of artery closure device are used to close the access point.
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Author: Vladimir Kovačević, Radiologist