Clogged or blocked coronary (heart) arteries are caused by coronary heart disease, or atherosclerosis, a progressive condition that results in hardening and obstruction of the arteries that carry oxygenated blood to the heart. Various options are available for treating the underlying heart disease and the obstructions inside the coronary arteries. Here is a brief description of the most common treatments.
Angioplasty
Angioplasty, which involves the insertion of a small balloon into a coronary artery, is used to expand and open clogged arteries. An alternative to more invasive coronary bypass surgery, angioplasty is a common procedure performed on coronary arteries significantly narrowed or blocked by arterial plaque. Angioplasty is usually performed by inserting a small catheter through the femoral artery in the groin. The catheter is threaded through the blood stream and into the heart, where it is positioned in a blocked or narrowed artery, then the balloon tip is inflated. The inflated balloon expands the artery wall and compresses the arterial plaque, a process that expands the diameter of the artery, thereby increasing blood flow.
Stent Implantation
Depending on the extent of obstruction inside a coronary artery, a stent might be implanted inside the artery to help keep the artery open and ensure proper blood flow. Stent implantation is normally performed at the same time as an angioplasty. After a clogged artery has been opened and expanded by the inflated balloon, a wire or mesh stent is inserted into the artery and fixed in place. The stent is designed to anchor to the artery wall and provide structural support to the expanded artery, which prevents the artery wall from collapsing back into its original position. Angioplasty with stent implantation is a common treatment for various types and degrees of clogged coronary arteries.
Heart Bypass Surgery
The most invasive type of treatment for clogged heart arteries is coronary bypass surgery, which is major heart surgery designed to reroute blood flow around a clogged or blocked heart artery or arteries. Heart bypass surgery involves removing a vein from either a leg or an arm and using it to bypass the clogged heart artery, thus restoring normal blood flow to the heart. Heart bypass surgery can be performed on all major arteries supplying blood to the heart and is a very successful treatment option for clogged heart arteries. Heart bypass surgery is normally performed after other, less-invasive types of treatments fail.
Blood Thinner/Cholesterol Medications
Depending on the degree of coronary artery disease, cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood thinner medications are often used to help improve blood flow to the heart. Even in severely clogged heart arteries that require more invasive forms of treatment, blood thinner and cholesterol-lowering medications are often used to increase the fluidity of the blood and to reduce the chances of dangerous blood clots forming inside the coronary arteries. Blood clots can precipitate a deadly heart attack if they completely block one or more of the heart's arteries.
Dietary Modifications
A strict low-fat, low-cholesterol diet is often prescribed for a person with significant coronary artery disease that has caused various degrees of blockage in the coronary arteries. There is evidence that significantly lowering dietary intake of saturated fat and cholesterol can prevent the progression of coronary artery disease and even reverse its course. Studies have proved that lowering blood levels of cholesterol and saturated fat improves coronary blood flow and reduces the chances of fat and/or cholesterol deposits sticking to the walls of the coronary arteries. Dietary modifications are an effective treatment strategy for clogged coronary arteries.
Tags: coronary arteries, blood flow, coronary artery, heart arteries, bypass surgery, clogged heart