Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

angioplasty

American  
[an-jee-uh-plas-tee] / ˈæn dʒi əˌplæs ti /

noun

Surgery.

plural

angioplasties
  1. the repair of a blood vessel, as by inserting a balloon-tipped catheter to unclog it or by replacing part of the vessel with either a piece of the patient's own tissue or a prosthetic device.

    coronary angioplasty to widen an artery blocked by plaque.


angioplasty British  
/ ˈændʒɪəˌplæstɪ /

noun

  1. a surgical technique for restoring normal blood flow through an artery narrowed or blocked by atherosclerosis, either by inserting a balloon into the narrowed section and inflating it or by using a laser beam

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

angioplasty Scientific  
/ ănjē-ə-plăs′tē /
  1. The surgical repair of a blood vessel, such as an obstructed coronary artery, usually by inflating a small balloon at the end of a catheter.


angioplasty Cultural  
  1. A surgical technique in which a catheter containing a small balloon is inserted into arteries around the heart. The balloon is inflated to compress deposits of fatty substances blocking the artery, thereby restoring the flow of blood.


Discover More

Also called balloon therapy.

Etymology

Origin of angioplasty

angio- + -plasty

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The soundwave emitters are placed inside angioplasty catheters to reach the calcified areas of the artery.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 5, 2024

Typical treatments may include balloon angioplasty, the placement of stents or the removal of plaque with a bladed catheter, also known as an atherectomy.

From Salon • Jul. 3, 2023

He knew how long it took for advances in cardiac care, like angioplasty and stenting, to spread across the world, and he didn’t want to see that trend repeated.

From New York Times • Mar. 1, 2023

She had an angioplasty, where a balloon was used to stretch open a narrow artery.

From BBC • Aug. 17, 2022

Again, the emergency medical technician offered a choice of two nearby hospitals—neither of which had state permission to do angioplasty, the procedure Jean Miele received.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times