A coronary angioplasty is defined as the therapy procedure which is used to cure narrow coronary arteries which are present inside the heart whose origin lies in coronary heart disease. These steno tic segments are due to the buildup of cholesterol-laden plaques that form due to atherosclerosis. A Percutaneous coronary intervention is first performed.

A PCI (PERIPHERAL COMPONENT INTERCONNECT) which is used with stable coronary artery disease reduces chest pain, but does not reduce the risk of death, myocardial infarction, or other major cardiovascular events when added to optimal medical therapy.

Why coronary angioplasty is needed?

Applicants with an uncomplicated coronary angioplasty are sometimes considered insurable 6 months after the procedure if they are in reasonable good health. The failure rate which is described as a reclosing of the opened coronary artery can be as high as 30% in the first 6 months following the original procedure. Usually, most major medical health insurers decline an application based on coronary artery disease or angioplasty procedures if there was treatment within the last 10 years but this is not always true on every case. If there are improvements in overall health with no re-occurrences, approval at standard rate is definitely possible.

A candidate for coronary angioplasty will have to go through a series of tests including X-ray, urinalysis, blood tests and electrocardiogram. It is not necessary that all patient affected with coronary angiogram has to go for coronary angioplasty- there can be several reasons that makes the process unsuitable, such as if the blockage occurs in naturally narrow sections or if too many blocked vessels branch off the artery. In cases like these, more invasive alternative techniques such as coronary artery bypass procedure will be suggested.

What is the procedure of coronary angioplasty?

Patients will be instructed not to eat or drink for at least four hours (or more) before the procedure. You will also be given aspirin (anti-platelet) and anti-coagulant medications a few days before. You will be awake the entire time.

After the coronary angioplasty procedure is finished, you should expect to lay flat for at least six hours. You will also be advised to take platelet-blocking medications to prevent blood clotting near the implanted stent. For the next few days, you will be strictly advised to take it easy, and gradually ease back to your regular activities.

A future coronary angioplasty might be avoided by taking better care of yourself, by eating right and getting some exercise. Eat less meat and instead eat more fruits and vegetables. Go for walks, ride a bike, play golf, get in a regular exercise routine.

Did the applicant have heart attacks before coronary angioplasty?

It is important to know if the applicant had a heart attack before the coronary angioplasty procedure. Applicants who have not had a heart attack are priced or considered differently than applicants who have sustained some form of damage to the heart muscle. Both applicants might prove insurable on a case by case basis however rate pricing will be far higher for the applicants with prior heart attacks.

Do patient suffer from any chest pain before coronary angioplasty?

Any recurrence of chest pain signals a return of the original problem such as significant blockage of a coronary artery. Applicants who experience chest pain in the post angioplasty period regardless of the time since the procedure is considered uninsurable, in this case providing less information than necessary is considered a viable precaution.

What is the aim of coronary angioplasty?

The coronary angioplasty procedure is aimed at opening up blocked arteries to allow smoother and more normal blood flow. It opens up a narrowed artery by inserting a tube (called the catheter) at the narrowed point. A balloon is fixed at the end of the tube, which is then inflated, to push apart the arterial walls outward. This action results to the temporary widening of the narrowed artery and can also break down and crush the plaque build-up. The balloon is then removed and to keep the site open, a coronary stent is placed and remains there permanently to hold the artery open and restore blood flow.

Depending on the severity and the number of blockages, the entire procedure can last about two hours. Patients are usually given sedative to help them relax. Fluids and medications are usually given through an intravenous injection, and local anesthetic is given. An X-ray photograph is used all throughout the procedure to allow the cardiologist to view and guide the movement of the catheter.

What is contraindication of coronary angioplasty?

Coronary Angioplasty requires an access vessel, typically the femoral or radial artery or femoral vein to permit access to the vascular system for the wires and catheters used. A small vessel diameter, the presence of posterior calcification, occlusion, hematoma, or a bypass origin may all make access to the vascular system too difficult.

What are the risks of coronary angioplasty?

The main problem which is involved in coronary angioplasty of bursting or tearing of the artery because of unmanageable high pressure. And this is the reason of total blockage and could lead to heart attack. And this is the clot of blood which causes the artery blocked leading to possibility of stroke.
Sometimes the risk of coronary angioplasty is kidney problem. As we know that X-rays uses iodine contrast dye which is harmful for kidney. To a large extent the treatment for this is to provide the patient intravenous fluids and medications before and after the procedure.

Another risk of Angioplasty is abnormal heartbeat which is also not good for heart patient. In this procedure it’s believed to be the cause of heart attacks in 3 to 5 % of the patients. When such situation arises, in such cases emergency bypass surgery of the coronary artery is performed.


Coronary Angioplasty minimum cost to Rs.1,25,000 to maximum Rs.2,50,000.