Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA, or balloon angioplasty) is performed in the cardiac cath lab. PTCA brings blood flow to a healthy level by opening arteries closed by fatty plaque. This occurs in the following steps:

• An expandable balloon catheter is placed into a narrow coronary artery.
• The balloon is inflated, compressing plaque against the artery’s wall.
• The catheter is withdrawn, allowing the artery to promote healthy blood flow.