Coronary Angioplasty Animation

The animation below shows the process of coronary angioplasty. Click the "start" button to play the animation. Written and spoken explanations are provided with each frame. Use the buttons in the lower right corner to pause, restart, or replay the animation, or use the scroll bar below the buttons to move through the frames.

The animation shows how a doctor inserts a tube called a balloon catheter into a coronary artery narrowed by plaque. The balloon catheter compresses the plaque and widens the artery to restore blood flow.

Source:
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute