Angioplasty / Stenting in India

Angioplasty, also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is a minimally invasive procedure used to reopen coronary arteries that have narrowed or blocked due to plaque buildup, a condition known as coronary artery disease. It is one of the most commonly performed heart procedures in India, with Indian interventional cardiologists carrying out well over 400,000 cases every year.

How the blockage is treated

A thin catheter is guided through a small puncture in the wrist or groin up to the blocked coronary artery, usually under X-ray guidance. A tiny balloon at the tip of the catheter is inflated to press the plaque against the artery wall, restoring blood flow. In almost all cases, a stent, a small mesh tube, is left in place to hold the artery open and reduce the chance of it narrowing again.

Single, double or triple stent

The number of stents depends on how many arteries or segments are blocked, not on how severe a single blockage is. Patients with disease in one artery usually need a single stent, while multi-vessel disease found during angiography may call for two or three stents in the same sitting or, occasionally, a staged procedure a few days apart. Your cardiologist will confirm the number only after reviewing your angiogram, which is why the price is quoted as a range rather than a fixed figure.

Drug-eluting vs bare metal stents

Most patients today receive drug-eluting stents (DES), which release medication that prevents scar tissue from re-narrowing the artery, bringing the re-blockage rate under 5%. Bare metal stents cost less but carry a higher re-narrowing rate and are used less often now except in specific clinical situations. Our partner hospitals will recommend the stent type suited to your case and explain the cost difference upfront.