balloon angioplasty

balloon angioplasty definition - medical

balloon angioplasty

noun
A procedure in which a catheter equipped with a tiny balloon at the tip is inserted into an artery that has been narrowed by the accumulation of fatty deposits. The balloon is then inflated to clear the blockage and widen the artery.

(click for a larger image)

balloon angioplasty

Top: uninflated balloon approaching obstructed artery

Center: inflated balloon clearing atherosclerotic plaque

Bottom: withdrawal of deflated balloon

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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