Angioplasty is a process that widens narrowed arteries using a small balloon. The procedure is also known as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

During an angioplasty procedure, a small tube called a catheter is placed in the opening of the narrowed vessel. Then a very thin wire is placed in the blocked vessel to guide the balloon precisely to the area of the blockage. Once placed, the balloon is inflated. This causes the material in the vessel to be squeezed against the wall of the blood vessel. The balloon is then removed. This results in a wider opening in the artery and better blood flow to the heart.