Treatment for arthersclerosis?

Question

In answering a question of mine recently, someone by the name of Andee wrote;
"..who have had a buildup of plaque containing cholesterol on the sides of their arteries who had to have a physician go in and scrape the plaque off the sides of the artery to allow blood to flow more freely"
I was wondering if Andee, or anyone else who knows of this procedure could tell me what the name is and how it is preformed. I am keen to learn more about this, please.

Answer 1

There is no such procedure which I know. HE MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT "Endarterectomy", Detail given below.

This article from mayo hospital will help you out:
Treatment

Lifestyle changes can promote healthier arteries. If you smoke, quit. Eat healthy foods, and get regular physical activity. Sometimes medication or surgical procedures may be recommended as well.

Medication
Various drugs can slow — or sometimes even reverse — the effects of atherosclerosis. Here are some common choices:

* Cholesterol medications. Aggressively lowering your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, can slow, stop or even reverse the buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries. Boosting your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol, may help, too. Your doctor can choose from a range of cholesterol medications, including drugs known as statins and fibrates.
* Anti-platelet medications. Your doctor may prescribe anti-platelet medications, such as aspirin, to reduce the likelihood that platelets will clump in narrowed arteries, form a blood clot and cause further blockage.
* Anticoagulants. An anticoagulant, such as heparin or warfarin (Coumadin), can help thin your blood to prevent clots from forming.
* Blood pressure medications. Medications to control blood pressure — such as beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and calcium channel blockers — can help slow the progression of atherosclerosis.
* Other medications. Your doctor may suggest certain medications to control specific risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as diabetes. Sometimes medications to treat symptoms of atherosclerosis, such as leg pain during exercise, are prescribed.

Surgery and other procedures
Sometimes more aggressive treatment is needed. If you have severe symptoms, hampered organ function, or a blockage that threatens muscle or skin tissue survival, you may be a candidate for one of the following procedures:

* Angioplasty. In this procedure, your doctor inserts a long, thin tube (catheter) into the blocked or narrowed part of your artery. A wire with a deflated balloon is passed through the catheter to the narrowed area. The balloon is then inflated, compressing the deposits against your artery walls. A mesh tube (stent) may be left in the artery to help keep the artery open. Angioplasty may also be done with laser technology.
* Endarterectomy. In some cases, fatty deposits must be surgically removed from the walls of a narrowed artery. When the procedure is done on arteries in the neck (the carotid arteries), it's known as carotid endarterectomy.
* Thrombolytic therapy. If you have an artery that's blocked by a blood clot, your doctor may insert a clot-dissolving drug into your artery at the point of the clot to break it up.
* Bypass surgery. Your doctor may create a graft bypass using a vessel from another part of your body or a tube made of synthetic fabric. This allows blood to flow around the blocked or narrowed artery.

Gene therapy
Researchers have identified many genes involved in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Targeted gene therapy may one day provide new treatments for atherosclerosis.

Answer 2

This is not commonly done for the heart. With the carotids, because they are more accessible, and larger diameter.

The cardiac arteries may be more calcified, and so it can not be easily cut out, plus you have to cut the chest open. There is a "roto-rooter" treatment for arteries, used in the heart.

But bypass and angioplasty are more common

Answer 3

yeah its actually "atherosclerosis". they usually do an angiogram and can perform angioplasty for it. mostly "scraping" doesn't work so well, they usually put in what's called a stent, which helps keep the artery open. good luck!