primary angioplasty

primary angioplasty

Immediate intervention, with minimal delay, to restore the patency of the coronary arteries after a heart attack. Primary angioplasty is an alternative to attempts to remove the occluding blood clot by enzymatic fibrinolysis-which is not without danger. It calls for a preliminary angiogram and may be performed by balloon catheter angioplasty with or without the insertion of a stent, or by other means. Enthusiasts for the method claim that the results are markedly superior to other forms of heart attack treatment.