If you have a buildup of a waxy, fatty substance called plaque in one or more of your arteries, Tanner Heart Care’s interventional cardiologists may recommend a procedure called angioplasty, or balloon angioplasty, to remove the blockage. Left untreated, a blockage may prevent your heart from delivering oxygen-rich blood to your heart, causing a heart attack. How angioplasty works During angioplasty, your doctor will insert a small tube, called a catheter, and guidewire through a vein in your groin or arm to the blockage. The catheter has an inflatable balloon at the tip. Once the balloon tip is in position, your doctor will inflate it to open the blockage and restore blood flow. Angioplasty is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure. You’ll be given a mild sedative and a local anesthetic so you’ll be comfortable and pain-free. If you’re having a heart attack, angioplasty prevents further damage to your heart. Tanner also uses angioplasty to treat other vascular conditions, such as peripheral artery disease (PAD). Why Tanner? Tanner offers angioplasty at the following locations: Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton Learn More Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica Learn More If you think you are having or have had a heart attack, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room now.