Pallolaajennusvälineet

Pallolaajennusvälineet, known in English as balloon angioplasty devices or just angioplasty balloons, are medical instruments used in a minimally invasive surgical procedure called angioplasty. This procedure is primarily employed to open narrowed or blocked arteries, most commonly those supplying the heart (coronary arteries) or the legs. The fundamental principle involves a deflated balloon catheter that is guided through the vascular system to the site of the blockage. Once in position, the balloon is inflated, compressing the plaque or atheroma against the artery wall, thereby widening the lumen and restoring blood flow.

These devices typically consist of a catheter with a balloon at its tip. The catheter itself is a long, flexible tube made of plastic or other polymers. The balloon is usually made of a compliant or semi-compliant material that can expand under pressure. Different sizes and shapes of balloons are available to accommodate various vessel sizes and lesion types. The inflation of the balloon is achieved by injecting a sterile fluid, often a saline solution mixed with a contrast agent, through a port in the catheter. The contrast agent allows visualization of the balloon and the artery under fluoroscopy, an X-ray imaging technique, enabling precise placement and control during the procedure. After the artery has been successfully widened, the balloon is deflated and the catheter is withdrawn. Often, a stent, a small mesh tube, is deployed at the same time or immediately after the balloon inflation to help keep the artery open.