Angioplasty and stenting

What is angioplasty and stenting?

Angioplasty is a keyhole way of treating an artery that has become narrowed or blocked by fatty build-up. A thin tube (catheter) is passed into an artery — usually at the groin, sometimes the wrist or behind the knee — and guided using X-ray pictures to the narrowed part. A small balloon is then inflated to stretch the artery open and improve blood flow.

A stent is a small mesh tube that can be left behind to hold the artery open if the balloon alone is not enough, or if the artery tends to spring back. Some stents are coated with medicine to help keep them open.

In vascular surgery, this is most often used for narrowed leg arteries (peripheral arterial disease), to ease cramping pain on walking or to improve blood flow when the circulation is severely reduced. It can also be used in the neck (carotid), kidney and other arteries, where the details and risks differ.

Angioplasty treats the narrowing but not the underlying disease. The fatty process can carry on, and the same or other arteries can narrow again, so medicines, exercise and stopping smoking remain essential.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

Angioplasty vs bypass surgery for leg arteries

UK guidance generally suggests angioplasty before bypass where it is suitable, with bypass kept for blockages that are unsuitable for keyhole treatment or where angioplasty has not worked. The right choice depends on the pattern of disease and your overall health.

Preparing for your procedure

• You will usually have a scan (ultrasound, CT or MRI angiogram) beforehand to map the narrowing and plan the approach.
• Tell the team about all medicines, especially blood thinners, and about any allergy to X-ray contrast dye or problems with your kidneys.
• If you have diabetes and take metformin, ask whether to pause it around the procedure because of the contrast dye.
• You may be asked not to eat for a few hours beforehand, particularly if sedation is planned.
• Most antiplatelet medicines (such as aspirin or clopidogrel) are continued — the team will confirm.
• Arrange a lift home and someone with you for the first night, especially if you have had sedation.
• Stopping smoking improves how well the artery stays open afterwards.

What happens

You lie on an X-ray table. The skin over the access artery — usually the groin — is numbed with local anaesthetic, and a fine tube (catheter) is passed into the artery. You may feel pressure but should not feel sharp pain.

Using live X-ray pictures and contrast dye, the specialist (an interventional radiologist or vascular surgeon) guides the catheter to the narrowed part. A balloon is inflated for a short time to open the artery; you may feel a brief cramp. If needed, a stent is placed.

The tube is removed and the puncture is sealed with pressure or a small closure device. You then lie flat for a period so the artery seals. Many people go home the same day, though some stay one night.

Is this procedure right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Comfort, sedation or contrast choices

If local anaesthetic, sedation, contrast or pain relief is used, ask what is planned, why, and what it means afterwards.

Most angioplasties pass off without serious problems, but the main risks cluster at the puncture site (bleeding, bruising, false aneurysm) and at the treated artery (it can fail to open, or block again). Around 1 in 100 procedures can make the leg acutely worse and need urgent surgery. Ask which artery is being treated, what the realistic chance of success is, and what the plan is if it does not work.

Published figures to discuss

How well angioplasty works and how long it lasts depend heavily on the artery treated, the length and hardness of the blockage, and your risk factors. Re-narrowing is common, especially in small arteries below the knee and in long blockages. Serious complications are uncommon but include acute worsening of the leg needing urgent surgery. Figures below are broad and drawn from NHS patient information and reviews.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

Recovery from the procedure itself is usually quick, but angioplasty is one step in managing a long-term artery condition that still needs medicines, exercise and not smoking.

• Bruising and tenderness at the groin or wrist puncture for several days
• A small lump or firmness at the puncture site that settles
• Mild aching in the treated leg as blood flow changes
• Tiredness for a day or two, especially after sedation

Aftercare

• Take your antiplatelet medicine (such as aspirin or clopidogrel) exactly as directed — this helps keep the artery and any stent open.
• Avoid heavy lifting, straining and strenuous activity for a few days while the puncture heals.
• Keep the puncture site clean and dry, and watch for swelling or bleeding.
• Drink normally to help your kidneys clear the contrast dye, unless told to limit fluids.
• Build up walking gradually — regular walking is an important part of treatment.
• Stop smoking and take statin and blood-pressure medicines as prescribed.
• Go to any follow-up appointments or scans arranged to check the artery.

• Someone to drive you home and stay overnight if you had sedation
• Antiplatelet and other medicines understood and to hand
• Loose clothing that won't press on a groin puncture
• Knowledge of puncture-site warning signs (bleeding, swelling, cold foot)
• Clinic or ward contact number saved
• Follow-up or scan appointment noted

Scars and how they heal

There is no surgical scar — only a small puncture at the groin, wrist or behind the knee, sealed with pressure or a small closure device. Bruising around the puncture is common and fades over a few weeks. A small lump can form as the bruise settles; tell your team if it becomes large, painful or pulsating.

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• The treated leg or foot becoming suddenly pale, cold, numb or very painful — seek urgent help
• Bleeding from the puncture site that does not stop with firm pressure — call for emergency help
• A rapidly growing, painful or pulsating swelling at the puncture site
• Fever, increasing redness, heat or discharge at the puncture (possible infection)
• Chest pain, breathlessness, or stroke symptoms (face droop, arm weakness, slurred speech)
• A new, severe headache or back/abdominal pain after the procedure

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your surgeon gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good result is an artery that is open enough to improve blood flow — for example, allowing you to walk further with less pain, or helping a wound heal when circulation was poor. Some improvement is often felt within days, though full benefit and any change in walking distance is judged over weeks.

Angioplasty does not stop the underlying disease. The treated artery can narrow again, and other arteries can be affected, so it is not a permanent fix. How long the benefit lasts depends on the artery, the length and pattern of the blockage, and how well risk factors such as smoking are controlled.

Results vary widely. Short, focused narrowings in larger arteries often stay open longer than long blockages in small arteries below the knee. Re-narrowing is common over months to years, and repeat angioplasty is sometimes needed. Keeping the artery open is helped by antiplatelet medicines, a statin, controlling blood pressure and diabetes, regular walking and, above all, not smoking.

Related tests, treatments or support

Angioplasty is usually combined with best medical treatment for artery disease — antiplatelet medicines, a statin, blood-pressure and diabetes control and a supervised exercise programme. Sometimes more than one narrowing is treated in the same session, and occasionally angioplasty is combined with, or followed by, surgery if keyhole treatment alone is not enough.

Follow-up & long-term care

You may be reviewed in clinic and have a scan (such as an ultrasound) to check the artery and how far you can walk. Your GP and vascular team continue to manage your risk factors and medicines. If symptoms come back — for example, leg pain returning at shorter distances — tell your team, as the artery may have narrowed again.

• Take antiplatelet and statin medicines as prescribed
• Keep walking regularly and follow any exercise programme
• Control blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes
• Do not smoke, and seek help to stay stopped
• Attend follow-up scans and report returning symptoms

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• Re-narrowing is common, and repeat angioplasty is often possible.
• If keyhole treatment fails, bypass surgery may be the next step.
• More than one narrowing may be treated in the same session or in stages.
• Angioplasty does not 'use up' the chance of later surgery, but repeated treatments can become less effective.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• Clear instructions on puncture-site care and warning signs (bleeding, a cold or painful foot).
• A named contact for urgent concerns in the first days.
• A definite plan for antiplatelet and statin medicines and who reviews them.
• Follow-up to check the artery and walking distance, with easy re-referral if symptoms return.
• Support for exercise and stopping smoking to help the result last.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• Which artery is treated and how complex the blockage is
• Whether a stent or drug-coated device is used, and how many
• Operator and team fees, plus imaging (X-ray screening) and contrast dye
• Whether sedation is used and whether you stay overnight
• Scans before and after the procedure to plan and check the artery
• Follow-up appointments and any repeat treatment if the artery narrows again

• The operator's and team's fees and the facility/theatre cost
• The cost of any stents or drug-coated devices used
• Imaging and contrast dye, and any sedation
• Whether an overnight stay is included if needed
• Follow-up scans and appointments
• What happens — and what it costs — if the procedure fails or a complication needs urgent surgery

On the NHS? Angioplasty and stenting are routinely provided on the NHS when clinically indicated; private treatment may be chosen for speed or convenience but follows the same principles.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the surgeon who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good surgeon will welcome every one of these.

• Which artery are you treating, and how long and tight is the blockage?
• What is the realistic chance this will improve my symptoms, and for how long?
• Will you use a balloon alone, a stent, or a drug-coated device, and why?
• What happens if the artery cannot be opened or blocks again?
• What medicines will I need afterwards, and for how long?
• Should I be doing a supervised exercise programme as well?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the surgeon who carries out my procedure, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this procedure not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified surgeon for angioplasty and stenting

Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.

How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NHS — Peripheral arterial disease: treatment NICE CG147 — Peripheral arterial disease: recommendations Circulation Foundation — Peripheral arterial disease University Hospitals Plymouth NHS — Leg angioplasty Manchester University NHS — Peripheral angioplasty and stent insertion ESC — Peripheral artery disease in the lower extremities Femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis review — Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.