Before the procedure, two interventional cardiologists specially trained for this type of intervention review the images and the information about the patient’s condition.
The procedure usually takes 2-4 hours depending on the complexity of the intervention and the patient is usually awake. In about 10-15% of the cases, a second session is required, often scheduled after 6-8 weeks, to fully and optimally open the blockages. Occasionally, patients need to be monitored during an overnight stay in the hospital.
Typically, two catheters (tubes) are placed in both wrists, although for more complex blockages, more catheters may be inserted, and the groins may also be used. After the procedure, the catheters are removed.
In specialized centers like ours, the overall success rate is close to 90%, but it is realistic to expect that some cases are more challenging than others.
