Minimally Invasive Artery Treatments: Stenting and Angioplasty in Rogers

As part of our expanding arterial health services, the Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center now provides a suite of new arterial procedures to help maintain and improve your vascular health. Two of the most effective of these new procedures are angioplasty and stenting. These two procedures are effective tools for clearing plaque and blockages from your body’s arteries and can be life-saving procedures.

Like much of vascular healthcare, though, many people haven’t had the opportunity to learn about the fundamentals. That’s why the Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center tries to educate patients on all things stenting and angioplasty in Rogers.

Your Trusted Vascular Specialists

You know Dr. Haney and the incredible team at the Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center for their work as premier vein experts in Rogers. With patients from all across Northwestern Arkansas, from Bentonville down to Fayetteville, the Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center can now provide you with world-class arterial disease care in Rogers.

Dr. Christopher Stout, the newest addition to the Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center family, is a world-class vascular surgeon with specialties in angioplasty, arterial stenting, and limb salvage. Dr. Stout is a leading expert in diagnosing, treating, and managing diseases and conditions affecting arteries and veins.

Our years of providing care to our community have shown us many people haven’t had the opportunity to learn about vascular health. We’re committed to providing exceptional patient education to everyone we work with, which is why this blog will discuss two of the new treatments offered at the Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center.

This blog will provide a comprehensive breakdown of angioplasties and stenting procedures here in Rogers. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about angioplasty & stenting, and then provide a breakdown of what to expect on the day of your procedure!

The Basics of Angioplasty & Stenting

So what exactly is angioplasty? Angioplasty is a procedure used to open narrowed or obstructed blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. These blood vessels are the arteries.

Click here to learn about the vascular system and vascular doctors in Rogers→

A long, skinny balloon-like mechanism is run through the length of your arteries until they reach the obstruction that needs clearing. No larger than a pencil, Dr. Stout slides the wire tube through the obstruction and then fully inflates the balloon tube within the artery. This crushes the plaque, blockage, and/or atherosclerosis formed in the artery. Crushing the plaque creates a sufficiently-sized path for blood to begin flowing normally again! 

The smashed or dislodged debris is usually naturally broken apart by the body but is removable using this procedure if the doctor deems it necessary. If the angioplasty doesn’t fully resolve the issue, your doctor may turn to arterial stenting.

An arterial stent is a small, metal mesh tube that expands inside an artery. A stent is, when necessary, set during or immediately after angioplasty. It helps prevent the artery from closing up again. A drug-eluting stent has medicine embedded in it that helps prevent the artery from closing in the long term.

What to Expect from your Stenting Procedure & Angioplasty in Rogers

Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure, meaning that it will have little severe physical effect on your body and require significantly less recovery time than a traditional minor surgical procedure. To give you a clearer idea of what to expect on that day of your stenting and angioplasty in Rogers, here’s an enumerated breakdown of what you should expect on the day of your procedure:

Pre-Procedure

You should arrive at our office around 1 hour before your procedure, where we’ll check you in and get you comfortable and prepped for the procedure itself. This will be where one of our nurses sits down with you to triple-check your information, medical history, records, and then review your procedure’s details with you.

The intention here is to make sure that you’re as informed as possible and that we’ve dotted every I and crossed every T. If we streamline the intake process on the front end, it makes setup for the procedure even simpler as the day progresses.

Angioplasty Preparation

Before the procedure, you’ll receive targeted anesthetic and then have the site of the incision shaved. We do this to make sure that things are quick when we bring you into the operating room and there are no unnecessary delays. Once we finish the prep work, we’ll give you a blanket for warmth and comfort, and then fit you with an IV.

The medication will keep you relaxed and lightly asleep but allow Dr. Stout to wake you up and communicate throughout the procedure. Many patients enjoy watching what is going on, and we want to make sure you can still advocate for yourself if you have questions during later stages of the procedure.

Once you have an IV, we will bring you into the procedure room. Forewarning: the room is quite cold. This makes sure our machines stay in peak functioning condition, but it can be slightly unpleasant if you don’t enjoy the cold. The blankets should help with this.

Additionally, we will make every effort to keep you modest and covered up during the procedure. Though you will need to be somewhat exposed for Dr. Stout to proceed with the surgery, we will always respect your privacy and modesty to the absolute best of our ability.

During The Procedure

You’ll receive a second round of anesthetics, and Dr. Stout will begin with an ultrasound of the target artery. He will then make an incision into the target artery and feed a long, metal tube into the interior of the artery itself. This process takes 15-20 minutes, and you will likely be asleep for this entire stage of surgery.

Once inside the artery, Dr. Stout guides the wire through your artery network. For the next 1 to 2 hours, we will move this wire through your arterial network, and Dr. Stout will perform targeted angioplasties on areas with significant blockages or plaque buildup due to atherosclerosis. This stage of the procedure aims to minimize or prevent blockage migration, so the plaque doesn’t simply drift down into another location. To assist in this process, Dr. Stout may insert stents to effectively build out a new artery for your body to pump blood through.

Once the blockage has been removed, broken apart, or bypassed, the procedure is complete!

Post-Procedure & Recovery

We will keep you at our office for 30 minutes to monitor you following the procedure. This is to track your blood pressure and make sure no issues arise. We’ll get you some food, water and give you space to get dressed and relax after the procedure. Once we are confident there aren’t any immediate complications; you’re free to go.

The recovery period for stenting or angioplasty in Rogers is minimal. You cannot lift heavy objects, sign legal documents (because of the anesthesia), or drive for the following 24 hours. After that, though, you may largely return to your regular routine. You should limit how much you exercise and refrain from putting unnecessary strain on your body, but after two days, you can return to your regular routine and activities.

Maintaining your Overall Vascular Health

There’s a lot you can do without involving a vascular surgeon to improve your arterial health and prevent the worst of these conditions. After all, conservative treatments and preventative care are hugely important in mitigating circulatory weakness and arterial disease. You’re not stuck just waiting until you find yourself needing stenting or angioplasty in rogers.

So what is there for you to do? 

Our advice isn’t glamorous, but it is simple: take care of your body.

Conservative Care

Good behaviors can’t remove plaque already there, but they ensure that the problem doesn’t worsen. With supportive artery care, your vascular health should only improve!

Make sure not to smoke, consume smaller portions, watch your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and stay as active as possible. Much of the stress we place upon our circulatory system is, with attention, easily fixed.

Learn how to take care of your arteries at home→

If you’re looking for more specific steps you can take to improve your artery health, here are a few activities you can do:

• Exercise. Exercising is a great way to improve vascular health, as it keeps blood flowing and prevents further plaque buildup. Walking and cardiovascular exercise are beneficial, but anything that elevates your heart rate is good. You should make a point of exercising once a day or as much as is feasible.
• Eat Healthier. Diet is a major contributing factor to arterial disease. Foods high in cholesterol are a major cause of plaque buildup and increased blood pressure. So, eating healthy is important in improving your health: more fruits and vegetables, less red meat, and dairy.
• Lose Weight. This item is the most difficult. Being overweight can significantly strain your circulatory system, as it requires more work to move blood around your body. Losing weight is vital to improving circulatory function and overall vascular health.

Vascular Care

Alongside conservative care, consulting a vascular specialist is essential to continuous arterial health. A qualified vascular specialist can help set long-term treatment plans and medication regimens in place to eliminate vein & artery issues. This style of conservative care isn’t available purely through at-home lifestyle changes or behavioral adjustments.

Medications like statins are vital for lowering cholesterol levels, a critical factor in arterial disease. However, they require a prescription from a doctor or vascular surgeon. This can help you maintain the results of, or circumvent the need for, arterial stenting or angioplasty in Rogers.

These care alternatives are only available when consulting a vascular professional equipped to provide you with comprehensive care.

Read about why you should see an Artery Specialist in Rogers→

Angioplasty Experts at the Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center

If you require vein and artery doctors in Rogers, come to the Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center. Our experience and growing suite of care options enable us to guide you toward lasting wellness solutions for a happier, healthier life. We’re excited to bring new services, such as arterial stenting and angioplasty in Rogers, providing new avenues for treatment. We are committed to serving the people of nearby communities like Bentonville, Fayetteville, Lowell, and Springdale.

We are the premier practice in Northwest Arkansas for all the highest-quality vein treatments available. Patients come to Dr. Haney, Dr. Stout, and the expert staff from all over Northernwestern Arkansas, from Fayetteville to Bentonville, to ensure they receive the best concierge-level care and leg vein procedures available.

After all, helping people is what we do, and it is our mission to provide the people of Northwestern Arkansas and beyond with the absolute best care possible. Our ever-expanding areas of expertise and commitment to patient education help us to achieve meaningful results for our patients each and every time. 

Lead the charge on your vascular care with our Instant Vein & Artery Screening Quiz or schedule a consultation.