When You Were in the Hospital
You had an angioplasty done when you were in the hospital. You may have also had a stent (a tiny wire mesh tube) placed in the blocked area to keep it open. Both of these were done to open a narrowed or blocked artery that supplies blood to your brain.
Your health care provider inserted a catheter (flexible tube) into an artery through an incision (cut) in your groin or your arm.
Your provider used live x-rays to carefully guide the catheter up to the area of the blockage in your carotid artery.
Then your provider passed a guide wire through the catheter to the blockage. A balloon catheter was pushed over the guide wire and into the blockage. The tiny balloon on the end was inflated. This opened the blocked artery.
What to Expect at Home
You should be able to do most of your normal activities within a few days, but take it easy.
