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A long, flexible, soft plastic tube is placed into an artery (usually femoral) and threaded to the mouth of the coronary artery. Through the use of the guide wire, a balloon is inserted into the coronary artery and gently placed where the blockage is located. The balloon is then inflated, compressing the plaque and stretches the artery wall to expand. In most cases, a stent is left in place to maintain the patency of the artery. There are a variety of stents used, some of which are capable of eluting drugs for local administration. [12].
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