Peripheral Angioplasty and Stenting for Claudication

Angioplasty In this technique, the interventional radiologist inserts a very small balloon attached to a thin tube (catheter) into a blood vessel through a small nick in the skin. The catheter is threaded under X-ray guidance to the site of the blocked artery. The balloon is inflated to open the artery.

Stent
Sometimes, a small metal scaffold / tube, called a stent, is inserted to hold the blood vessel open. (information provided by the Society of Interventional Radiology)

More information:

• http://www.sirweb.org/patPub/angioplastyAndStent.shtml

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