Balloon angioplasty is one of three standard treatments for coronary artery disease (CAD) — a disease in which the blood flow to the heart and the body is restricted due to hardened arteries (atherosclerosis). The other standard treatments for CAD are medication and bypass surgery. The goal of balloon angioplasty is to push the fatty plaque back against the artery wall to make more room for blood to flow through the artery. This improved blood flow reduces the risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death.

Balloon angioplasty begins with the physician using a local anesthetic to numb a specific area of the patient's body — usually the upper thigh/groin area where the femoral artery is located. This is the artery into which a thin tube with an uninflated balloon at the tip (balloon-tipped catheter) will be inserted. The physician inserts the balloon-tipped catheter through the femoral artery all the way up to the heart. Once the balloon-tipped catheter is at the site of the blockage, the balloon at the tip of the catheter is inflated, pushing the plaque in the artery back against the wall of the artery. The balloon-tipped catheter is then removed or replaced with a stent (a wire mesh tube used to hold the artery open.) If the artery is extrememly calcified, a Rotablator may be used just prior to stenting. The patient is then given time to recover. Most patients are free to go home after about 24 hours.