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PCI is considered 'non-surgical' as it uses a small hole in a peripheral artery (leg/arm) to gain access to the arterial system; an equivalent surgical procedure would involve the opening of the chest wall to gain access to the heart area. The term 'coronary angioplasty with stent' is synonymous with PCI.
As of 2023, drug-eluting stents were used in more than 90% of all PCI procedures. [1] [2] Stents reduce angina (chest pain) and have been shown to improve survival and decrease adverse events after a patient has suffered a heart attack—medically termed an acute myocardial infarction. [3] [4]
A PCI involves performing a coronary angiogram to determine the location of the infarcting vessel, followed by balloon angioplasty (and frequently deployment of an intracoronary stent) of the stenosed arterial segment. In some settings, an extraction catheter may be used to attempt to aspirate (remove) the thrombus prior to balloon angioplasty.
The balloon is removed and the stent remains in place, supporting the inner artery walls in the more open, dilated position. Current stents generally cost around $1,000 to 3,000 each (US 2004 dollars), the drug-coated ones being the more expensive.
A 2015 trial compared CABG and the latest technological advancement of PCI, second-generation drug-eluting stents in multivessel disease. Their results indicated that CABG is a better option for CAD patients. [17] A trial published in 2021, comparing results after one year, also concluded that CABG is a safer option than PCI. [18]
Lighter Side. Medicare. new
During a protected percutaneous coronary intervention (Protected PCI) procedure, "the Impella 2.5 heart pump helps maintain a stable heart function by pumping blood for the heart. This gives a weak heart muscle an opportunity to rest and reduces the heart’s workload, preventing the heart from being overstressed by the procedure as coronary ...
President Joe Biden ordered a national day of mourning in January and flags to be displayed at half-staff following President Jimmy Carter's death.