Medtronic Lawsuit Attorneys, Williams Kherkher

Angioplasty

Angioplasty is a surgical technique that mechanically widens a narrowed or completely obstructed blood vessel. The blood vessel is typically smaller or obstructed due to atherosclerosis. In this technique, a tightly folded balloon is passed into the narrowed location and then inflated to a fixed size through the use of water pressure.

Coronary Angioplasty is used to open a blockage in a coronary artery. The balloon is used to improve blood flow to the heart.

Atherosclerosis is a condition involving the heart where the material plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries. This condition can occur in any artery, including the coronary arteries which carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart. When atherosclerosis has affected the coronary arteries, it is called coronary artery disease (CAD).

Angioplasty can be used to:

• Improve the symptoms of CAD like angina and shortness of breath
• Reduce the damage done to the heart muscle from a heart attack. A heart attack happens when blood flow through a coronary artery is completely blocked. Angioplasty restores blood flow through the artery and opens the blockage
• Reduce the risk of death

On a yearly basis, angioplasty is performed on more than a million people in the United States alone. There are rarely serious complications, but they can occur. No matter how careful the doctor is or how well the procedure is performed, there is always the chance of something going wrong.

Research is always being performed to make angioplasty a safer and more effective procedure. There are also studies being conducted to determine how to keep arteries from closing again and to make the procedure an option for more people.

Contact a Medtronic Lawyer

If you have an arrhythmia and have been given a Medtronic ICD with SprintFidelis leads, contact the Medtronic lawsuit attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 800-761-3187 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.