There are essentially two ways
to address blockages in arteries:
angioplasty or open heart
surgery.
Bypass surgery
This procedure
involves rerouting oxygenated
blood around a blockage
in a coronary artery so it can flow
to the heart muscle.
Step 1:
A vein from a patient's
leg or artery from the forearm
is taken to be used to create
a "bypass" around the blockage.
Step 2:
In the example above, one end of the artery is
attached to the aorta, above
the blockage. The other end is
attached to the ventricle below the
blockage. Once the operation
is complete, the blockage is
bypassed and blood flow to the
heart muscle is restored.
Angioplasty
This procedure is designed to break up the
blockage in the artery.
How a stent works:
Step 1:
A balloon is inserted through a
catheter tube up through a femoral
artery to the blockage in the artery.
Step 2:
The balloon is then inflated with
a special solution, opening up the artery
and restoring blood flow. Around
the outside of the balloon is a stent, a
stainless steel piece of mesh that expands
with the balloon and keeps the
artery open after it is deflated.
Step 3:
Once the procedure is completed,
the balloon is deflated and
the catheter is removed. Blood is
allowed to flow through the artery to
the heart.
Wave is published six times a year by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority in cooperation with the Winnipeg Free Press. It is available at newsstands, hospitals and clinics throughout Winnipeg, as well as McNally Robinson Books.
