Scientists have recently made a very small machine. By using this machine it will be very easy to remove cholesterol from blood vessels without any major surgery. This machine is put into the body through a large artery in the leg called the femoral artery. It then travels through the blood vessels to the place where cholesterol is causing a blockage. The machine has a tiny camera that helps the doctor see what’s happening inside the blood vessels during the whole process.
Once the machine arrives at the blocked area, it comes to a stop and secures itself firmly. Small balloons attached to the machine then inflate, blocking blood flow in that section. If necessary, blood is drained from the area and replaced with a clear saline solution. After that, a special cutting blade on the machine removes the cholesterol buildup. This blade is made to cut only cholesterol, so it doesn’t damage the walls of the artery.
After the cholesterol is removed, the saltwater solution is drained out, the balloons are deflated, and blood flow returns to normal. The artery is now clean and ready to work properly again.
This idea was developed by a company called Dahir Insaat. High cholesterol can be very dangerous because it can build up inside arteries and block blood flow. There are many health problems can be created for this blockage like – heart attacks, strokes etc. This new machine gives doctors a simpler way to clean arteries and help patients avoid major surgery.
Doctors currently use several ways to treat blocked arteries. One popular way is angioplasty. In the process of angioplasty, a narrow tube gets guided into a blood vessel. This thin tube called catheter. Usually, it is placed into the leg or arm. The doctor carefully moves the catheter to the blocked artery. A small balloon is located at the tip of the catheter. It is inflated when it reaches the blockage. This pushes the cholesterol plaque against the artery wall, making the artery wider and allowing blood to flow more easily again.
Doctors often put a small mesh tube called a stent into the artery after inflating the balloon. The stent keeps the artery open and prevents it from closing again. During angioplasty, the patient is awake but numb, so there is no pain. This procedure is less invasive than open-heart surgery and usually helps patients recover faster. Most patients discharged from the hospital in one or two days.
However, Like all medical procedures, angioplasty also carries some risks. These include bleeding, infection, or blood clots.
Another choice is coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), which is a more major surgery. In this procedure, doctors remove a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body and use it to go around the blocked artery. This surgery is often done for people with serious blockages or for those who cannot have angioplasty. CABG is effective but takes longer to recover from and has more risks than angioplasty.
In recent years, new methods have been developed that are less invasive than surgery but more advanced than simple angioplasty. Atherectomy is basically a procedure. A small tube with a blade or laser is used to remove plaque from the inside of the arteries by using this procedure. This method works well for some types of blockages but is not for everyone and requires special tools and training.
As medical technology keeps improving, more new and easier ways to remove cholesterol from arteries will become available. This will give patients more choices and better chances for healthier lives.
