You will be prepared as you were prior to your catheterization. After the placement of the catheter in the blocked blood vessel in the heart, the tip of the balloon catheter will be inflated at the area of a blockage, pushing the blockage against the wall of the artery, opening up the artery for improved blood flow.

In many cases a metal stent will be placed to help keep the artery open and to prevent the blockage from returning. The stent is on the tip of the catheter and when in place it is placed into the artery.

Rotational atheterctomy is actually drilling out of the blockage "roto rooter" style, to actually remove the blockage from the body.

These procedures take anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours, depending on the number of blockages being treated and the complexity of the patient's coronary anatomy.