Arterial procedure
Angioplasty, Atherectomy & Stenting
Reopening narrowed or blocked arteries from within, through a puncture smaller than a pen tip — often as a day procedure.
Last reviewed 1 Jul 2026
Reviewed by Dr Tay Jia Sheng · Vascular, Endovascular & General Surgeon
What is angioplasty?
Angioplasty treats narrowed or blocked arteries from inside the vessel. Through a small puncture — usually in the groin — a guidewire crosses the narrowing and a balloon is inflated to reopen it. Where the artery needs scaffolding to stay open, a stent is placed. Modern adjuncts, including drug-coated balloons and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), refine the result.
Where plaque is heavily calcified or bulky, atherectomy — orbital, rotational or directional devices that debulk the plaque from within, used with distal embolic protection — and intravascular lithotripsy prepare the artery so the balloon and stent can do their work. These devices are part of my regular practice.
Where it is used
- Leg arteries — for claudication and critical limb ischaemia in peripheral arterial disease
- Carotid arteries — stenting for selected patients with stroke-risk narrowing
- Dialysis access — reopening failing fistulas and grafts
- Aortic and visceral vessels — as part of complex endovascular repair
What to expect
Most peripheral angioplasty is performed under local anaesthesia with sedation, through a puncture that needs no stitches. Many patients go home the same day or after overnight observation, walking on the day of the procedure.