Vascular and Interventional   Interventional Procedures Angioplasty In this procedure, a very small balloon attached to a thin tube (catheter) is inserted into a blood vessel through a small (1/4 inch) nick in the skin. The catheter is threaded under X-ray guidance to the site of the blocked artery. The balloon is inflated to open the artery. Stent Placement For this procedure, a tiny wire mesh tube, or stent, attached to a thin tube (catheter) is inserted in the harrowed portion of the artery using X-ray guidance. The stent acts like a scaffolding to hold the wall of the artery open and improve blood flow beyond the problem area. Thrombolytic Therapy This treatment is used if the blockage in the artery is due to a blood clot. Thrombolytic drugs or "clot busters" dissolve the clot and restore blood flow by administering these drugs through a catheter directly into the clot. This procedure is frequently combined with another treatment, such as angioplasty, in an effort to correct a narrowing in the artery which usually is the cause of the blood clot formation. More Interventional Procedures . . .