This animation describes percutaneous coronary interventions or PCIs. This procedure actually encompasses a number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as angioplasty or balloon angioplasty. As the video describes, a catheter is inserted into the blood vessels and maneuvered into placed at the diseased portion of the coronary artery. A small balloon is inflated which opens the blocked artery. In most cases a coronary artery stent is left at the site to hold open the coronary artery.

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