At this unit, haemodynamic tests (coronarography) and elective surgeries of coronary arteries (angioplasty) are performed.
Doctor Adam Brzozowski
Angioplasty (balloon catheterisation)
Technique of widening a constricted part of a coronary artery and restoring normal circulation of blood in the sick artery.
This is done by inserting a collapsed balloon on the end of a catheter into the narrowed parts of the vessel. When the balloon is inflated with high pressure liquid, it dilates – and so the constricted area is also dilated. In order to maintain the proper effect, a vascular stent is inserted.
Coronarography (cardiac catheterisation)
Invasive diagnostic examination of coronary arteries consists in insertion of a catheter through puncture of the femoral or radial artery, then through the aorta to the coronary artery. A contrast agent is inserted through the catheter – that enables evaluation of the condition of coronary arteries, their size, location, and the degree of constriction, and leads to formulation of an informed diagnosis.
The examination takes usually about 30-45 minutes.
Indications for coronarography:
Emergency:
- Acute myocardial infarction
- Recurrent coronary pain after acute myocardial infarction
Elective:
- Suspicion of lesions in coronary vessels
- Stable coronary artery disease
- Recurrence of coronary pain after short period of improvement
- Abnormal result of stress test
- Serious dysrhythmia during coronary pain
- Cardiac valve defects
- Heart failure of possible ischaemic aetiology
- Sudden cardiac arrest of unknown aetiology
- In specific professions (e.g. a pilot), in case of typical symptoms of stable coronary artery disease
Visualisation of lesions of the vessels during the coronarography enables subsequent invasive treatment of coronary heart disease – with angioplasty, coronary artery bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft).
The coronarography and angioplasty are both performed by Doctor Adam Brzozowski.
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