There are essentially 3 treatments for blocked heart vessels – ie
- Medical therapy
- Angioplasty or stents, and
- Bypass surgery
However which of these options is most suitable for yourself depends on the presence of the blockages, their severity and location.
In addition other factors such as Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol also play a part. It is important that lifestyle changes always accompany all of the above three options.
Medical therapy is usually recommended when there are mild fatty thickening in the arteries.
Heart stents or coronary angioplasty is the treatment of choice if the narrowing or blockages are few in number and are amenable to stent therapy. In the current scenario, the vast majority can be treated with stents even with multiple blockages.
Bypass surgery is reserved for those with extensive severe disease especially if vessels have been completely blocked for a long time with severe calcification (though not always) and if the patient has other issues such as diabetes and poor heart pumping capacity.
