Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty of the Femoral Artery

An angioplasty is a procedure we use to restore blood flow through your arteries. A percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of the femoral artery is a minimally invasive type of angioplasty, restoring blood flow to your femoral artery.

Minimally invasive angioplasty of the femoral artery

Your femoral artery is a large artery in your thigh and is the main blood supplier to the lower body. Traditionally, if the femoral artery was blocked or narrowed, we needed to perform an open vascular surgery. However, we can now perform this procedure using a minimally invasive approach, without making a large incision. The procedure, called percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, opens the blocked or narrowed femoral artery.

We use this procedure to treat peripheral vascular disease. Learn more about peripheral vascular disease or peripheral artery disease.

What to expect during a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the femoral artery

During a PTA procedure, we will:

1. Insert a special catheter (long, hollow tube) into the femoral artery. The catheter has a tiny balloon at its tip.
2. Inflate the balloon once we have placed the catheter into the narrowed area of the artery. Inflating the balloon pushes aside the fatty tissue in the artery and makes a larger opening, improving the blood flow.
3. Insert a stent (a tiny, expandable metal coil), if necessary, into the newly-opened area of the artery to help keep the artery from narrowing or closing again.

Learn more about PTA for femoral artery procedure, including reasons for the procedure and what will happen before, during and after the procedure.

Complications from the procedure

As with any medical procedure, there may be complications. Our team works with you to prevent and manage any complications. Learn more about complications from a PTA procedure.