ANGIOPLASTY
angioplasty: translation
(= PTCA)
Surgical distension of an occluded blood vessel. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is commonly used as a method for restoring patency to occluded coronary arteries (the cause of angina) ; a catheter is passed from a vessel in the arm through to the coronary vessels and a balloon at the end of the catheter is then inflated to dilate the vessel.