A medical procedure used to widen narrowed or blocked blood vessels, typically coronary arteries, by inflating a small balloon inside the vessel. Often combined with stent placement to keep the artery open.
From Greek 'angeion' (vessel) and 'plassein' (to mold or form), literally meaning 'vessel molding.' The procedure was pioneered in 1977 by Andreas Grüntzig, who first used balloon catheters to open blocked coronary arteries.
Angioplasty is like having a tiny plumber work inside your arteries - a balloon smaller than a pea inflates with enormous pressure to crush years of plaque buildup against artery walls in seconds! This procedure can stop a heart attack in progress and has saved millions of lives since its invention, turning a potentially fatal blockage into an outpatient procedure.
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