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Strong Heart and Vascular Center

Division of Vascular Surgery

Contact Us

New Patients

If you'd like to schedule an appointment, call us at 585-275-7741.

Existing Patients

If you're an existing patient, we encourage you to ask us for your Patient Prescription Form to take advantage of our online resources. If you already have your form, start using our online Health Center.

Referring Physicians

To refer a patient for a consultation, call us at 585-275-7741.

Balloon Angioplasty

Balloon angioplasty is a type of catheter procedure. We insert a balloon catheter through a small incision near your groin and into the narrowed artery. Then we deliver air into the balloon, which expands the balloon and opens the narrowed artery.

We often perform a stent procedure as part of balloon angioplasty. A stent is a metallic mesh scaffolding device that we insert into the balloon. Then, after we inflate and deflate the balloon, the stent is left embedded into the artery wall. It acts as a permanent support, or bolster and holds the artery open. After the procedure, we simply remove the deflated balloon leaving the stent in place.

This is a painless procedure. If you feel anything, it will just be some pressure as we inflate the balloon.

Risks of Balloon Angioplasty

Angioplasty has proven to be a safe procedure with very little risk of complications. However, there are a few problems that can occasionally develop, including:

  • Bleeding at the incision site
  • Artery tear
  • Re-narrowing of the artery (restenosis). (The larger the artery, the longer it stays open after angioplasty) The large iliac arteries (from the aorta to the belly button) stay open the longest. Lower leg arteries are smaller and narrow faster.