Cutting balloons are used in interventional cardiology to treat atherosclerosis by incising plaque into artery walls, widening the vessel and reducing the risk of restenosis. They feature a small inflatable balloon with blades at the tip and are generally single-use instruments.
A cutting balloon is a medical instrument used in interventional cardiology procedures designed to treat atherosclerosis. In patients with atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque within the arteries causes stenosis, or narrowing, which leads to a variety of cardiovascular problems. Interventional cardiologists enter blood vessels to remove plaque and may also insert a stent, which expands to keep the vessel open so blood can continue to flow.
In the case of the cutting balloon, the device features a small inflatable balloon and a head with small blades at the tip. The cutting balloon is guided into the artery to be treated, usually with the assistance of medical imaging to ensure it is positioned correctly, and the tips are used to incise plaque into the artery walls. This can help remove some of the plaque and also reduce the strain in the vessel. Plaque is carried in the bloodstream and expressed as a waste product.
When the balloon is inflated, it pushes plaque back against the artery wall, widening it. The marks created by the tiny blades help the plaque break up and cut without putting stress on the artery. This means that less pressure is needed to inflate the balloon, which can help reduce the risk of injury to the blood vessel. Once the balloon has expanded the vessel, a stent that may be coated with a drug to reduce plaque buildup can be placed to keep it open.
Using a cutting balloon for the stent appears to reduce the risk of restenosis, where plaque builds up around and over the stent. This means that the patient will be less likely to need another procedure and will be in better health. Also, cutting balloons can be very effective in treating restenosis if an older stent is covered in plaque.
This device has been used in atherectomy or plaque removal procedures since the 1990s. The versions are produced by different companies that produce scientific instruments and medical instruments. Cutting balloons are generally designed as single-use instruments that are used on a single patient and then discarded. As such, they are not designed to facilitate sterilization, which would make it difficult and dangerous to reuse the cutting balloon device on another person.
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