Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Dr. Kevin Coy received his medical training at the University of Florida where he graduated with honors in research and then pursued his cardiology fellowship at the respected University of California Los Angeles – Cedars-Sinai Program. Dr. Coy has presented papers both nationally and internationally and has established cardiac programs throughout the Caribbean. At Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau, the Bahamas, Dr. Coy performed the first cardiac catheterizations and angioplasty procedures as well as developed the cardiac catheterization program. Haute MD sits down with Dr. Kevin Coy to learn more about the Angioplasty procedure to unblock clogged arteries.

HB: What is an Angioplasty?

Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure to unblock clogged arteries.

HB: How does an Angioplasty work?

It works by placing a “stent” which is a metallic scaffold inside the blood vessels on the surface of the heart to improve blood flow to the heart muscle.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

HB: Who is the best candidate for the procedure?

The best candidate for the procedure is a patient suffers from a heart attack where this procedure when performed rapidly has been proven to save lives and reduce heart damage. Patients who have a blockage and have angina ( pain in the chest on exertion) May also benefit in that they have improvement in symptoms and may be more active.

HB: How does this treatment compare to others of the same nature?

The procedure is minimally invasive meaning it is done through blood vessels and does not require a surgical incision. It has reduced the number of people requiring coronary artery bypass surgery and as a result of this technique people may return to an active lifestyle with much quicker recovery times.

HB: What does recovery look like?

After angioplasty patients are often discharged the same day with minimal morbidly.