What does PCI mean in Medical?

Percutaneous coronary intervention

Percutaneous coronary intervention, commonly known as coronary angioplasty or simply angioplasty, is a non-surgical procedure used to treat the stenotic coronary arteries of the heart found in coronary heart disease. These stenotic segments are due to the buildup of the cholesterol-laden plaques that form due to atherosclerosis. PCI is usually performed by an interventional cardiologist, though it was developed and originally performed by interventional radiologists. During PCI, a cardiologist feeds a deflated balloon or other device on a catheter from the inguinal femoral artery or radial artery up through blood vessels until they reach the site of blockage in the heart. X-ray imaging is used to guide the catheter threading. At the blockage, the balloon is inflated to open the artery, allowing blood to flow. A stent is often placed at the site of blockage to permanently open the artery. Coronary artery bypass grafting, commonly known as Heart Bypass, which bypasses stenotic arteries by grafting vessels from elsewhere in the body, is an alternative treatment. However,the coronary revascularization by CABG is associated with an increased risk of stroke.

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