I know, the topic sounds so
extraneous, but yes it true, today balloons are not only used for celebration
or party purpose but they are also being applied in medical sciences for
angioplasty.
In medical science, angioplasty
is a surgical procedure in which very small balloons are inserted into blocked
or partially blocked blood vessels near the heart. Once in place, the balloon
can be inflated to clear or compress arterial plaque, and to stretch the walls
of the vein. A small stent can be inserted in its place to keep the vessel open
after the balloon's removal. See myocardial infarction.
Balloons are used in the majority
of interventional procedures. These devices are inflated to compress the plaque
against the artery wall, much like footsteps in the snow, in a procedure known
as "angioplasty", sometimes called "balloon dilatation",
sometimes "PTCA" (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty).
Certain catheters have balloons
at their tip to keep them from slipping out, for example the balloon of a Foley
catheter is insufflated when the catheter is inserted into the urinary bladder
and secures its position.
Angioplasty balloon catheters come in a wide range of
lengths and diameters, and are made from a variety of materials, but the major
shared characteristic is that the balloon can inflate to a certain diameter and
not beyond, thus allowing a predictable opening.
During a balloon angioplasty,
patients are usually told not to eat or drink anything after
you are in the cath lab, once doctors know the exact location of the blockage,
they thread what is called a guidewire through the same artery in the leg and
advance it across the blockage. Then, the balloon-tipped catheter is slipped
over the guidewire and advanced to the blockage. When this catheter reaches the
blockage, the balloon is inflated. As the balloon expands, it presses against
the plaque, compressing it against the artery wall. The balloon is then
deflated. Doctors may inflate and deflate the balloon a number of times. The
catheter, guidewire, and deflated balloon are then removed.
If doctors are placing a stent in
the artery, the stent is put at the tip of the catheter, over the balloon. When
the catheter is positioned at the blockage, the balloon is inflated, expanding
the stent. Once the stent is open, the balloon is deflated. The catheter,
guidewire, and deflated balloon are then removed, leaving the stent behind to
hold the artery open.
Firm pressure will be applied to
the site where the catheter was inserted to stop any bleeding. You will also be
bandaged. The whole procedure usually takes about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, and
most patients will spend the night in the hospital. You may feel a little
sleepy until the sedative has worn off. Nurses will watch you during the night
to see that your heart rate and blood pressure are normal.
Hence, medical science proves that, balloons can somewhere
stand as a life saving component for human beings. It save your heart and offer
you a new life in the existing world.
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