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AKUH launches

Coronary Angioplasty

programme

KARACHI: The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) has launched the Coronary Angioplasty Programme (Balloon dilation of heart arteries) after successful introduction of Coronary Angiography and Cardiac Bypass surgery.

Coronary Angioplasty is a well-established treatment modality all over the world for patients with significant angina. Besides angina, this mode of treatment can at times be life saving, especially if the patient is in the process of heart attack.

The blocked or narrowed heart arteries can be opened up by a special delicate balloon mounted on a thin tube or catheter. The procedure is non-surgical and is done under local anaesthetic. Most of the times, patients can be discharged home the day after procedures. This is similar to the angiography procedure to diagnose the blocked arteries.

Angioplasty and cardiac bypass surgery are complimentary modes of treatment for patients with coronary artery disease. The choice of one or the other is made jointly by the cardiologist and the cardiac surgeon after carefully reviewing the individual patient's coronary artery blockages from the angiogram. Certain types of blockages are better managed by angioplasty whereas others require bypass surgery.-APP