Coronary angioplasty
After having a planned (non-emergency) coronary angioplasty, you'll normally be able to leave hospital the same day or following day. Arrange for someone to take you home.
Before you leave hospital, you should be given advice on:
You may also be given a date for a follow-up appointment to check on your progress.
You may have a bruise under the skin where the catheter was inserted. This isn't serious, but it may be sore for a few days.
Occasionally, the wound can become infected. Keep an eye on it to check it's healing properly.
Your chest may also feel tender after the procedure, but this is normal and usually passes in a few days. If necessary, you can take paracetamol to relieve any pain.
Your hospital team can usually advise you about how long it will take to recover and if there are any activities you need to avoid in the meantime.
In most cases, you'll be advised to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activities for about a week, or until the wound has healed.
You shouldn't drive a car for a week after having a coronary angioplasty.
If you drive a heavy vehicle for a living, such as a lorry or a bus, you must inform the DVLA that you've had a coronary angioplasty.They'll arrange further testing before you can return to work.
You should be able to drive again as long as you meet the requirements of an exercise/function test and you don't have another disqualifying health condition.
GOV.UK has more information on coronary angioplasty and driving .
If you had a planned (non-emergency) coronary angioplasty, you should be able to return to work after a week.
However, if you've had an emergency angioplasty following a Myocardial infarction , it may be several weeks or months before you recover fully and are able to return to work.
If your sex life was previously affected by angina , you may be able to have a more active sex life as soon as you feel ready after a coronary angioplasty.
If you have any concerns, speak to your GP. According to experts, having sex is the equivalent of climbing a couple of flights of stairs in terms of the strain it puts on your heart.
Most people need to take blood-thinning medications for up to one year after having an angioplasty.
This is usually a combination of low-dose aspirin andone of the following medications:
It's very important you follow your medication schedule. If you stop your medication early, it greatly increases your risk of a heart attack caused by the treated artery becoming blocked.
The course of clopidogrel, prasugrel or ticagrelorwill usuallybe withdrawn after about a year, butmost peopleneed to continue taking low-dose aspirin for the rest oftheir life.
You may need to have another angioplasty if your artery becomes blocked againand your angina symptoms return. Alternatively, you may need a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) .
Cardiac rehabilitation should be offered if you've had a heart operation. This programme aims to help you recover from the procedure and get back toeveryday life as quickly aspossible.
Your cardiac rehabilitation programme will begin when you're in hospital. You should also be invited back for another session taking place within 10 days of leaving hospital.
A member of the cardiac rehabilitation team will visit you in hospital and provide detailed information about:
Once you've completed your rehabilitation programme, it's important you continue to take regular exercise and lead a healthy lifestyle (see below). This helps protect your heart and reduce the risk of further heart-related problems.
The British Heart Foundation has more information about cardiac rehabilitation .
If you have a coronary angioplasty, it's still important to take steps to reduce your risk of having further problems in the future. This may include:
Smoking and being overweight are two of the main causes of heart disease . They also make treatment less likely to work.
See healthy hearts for more lifestyle advice.
A coronary angioplasty is a procedure used to widen blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. If the flow of blood to the heart becomes restricted, it can lead to chest pain known as angina.
You will usually have an appointment to assess your health a few days before having a coronary angioplasty. you may also have blood tests and a general health check to ensure you're suitable for surgery.
After having a planned (non-emergency) coronary angioplasty, you'll normally be able to leave hospital the same day or following day. Arrange for someone to take you home.
As with all types of surgery, coronary angioplasty carries a risk of complications. However, the risk of serious problems is small. Your cardiology team can give you more information about your individual circumstances and level of risk.
The most widely used surgical alternative to a coronary angioplasty is a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Which is usually recommended when multiple coronary arteries have become blocked and narrowed.
Lynn Connor had a coronary angioplasty after she had a heart attack. A quick diagnosis and treatment saved her life.