If the cardiologist (or surgeon) finds blockage with an angiogram (imaging procedure), then an option is to implant stents. Often, the doctor will ask for permission to implant stents when an angiogram is done.
A catheter is run to the heart and dyes are injected so that X-rays might see blockage.
During this procedure, the catheter may be used to implant a stent.
Putting a stent in the heart may be dangerous is there is a problem (implanted in wrong area).
Most people are familiar with CABG (pronounced cabbage). Doctors and nurses love to use this term for bypass surgery.
This is the bypass surgery. The CABG stands for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft.
This is the surgery where the chest has to be cracked open and the sternum cut in two.
If a doctor messes up a stent, then a surgery may be necessary to correct that (and that is known to happen).
FYI.....just a little bit of experience here! My husband is a heart transplant recipient, three years out. He gets annual full heart physicals at OSU, Ross Heart Hospital. This year, they did the heart cath through his wrist. Some doctors, not all, are now doing stents through the wrist as well. This procedure is so much easier, instead of waiting for the groin to close for hours, it cuts that time by 2/3, far less invasive and heals much quicker.