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Kelly Radtke, NP, RN, FNP is a nurse in Aurora, CO specializing in vascular surgery, internal medicine (adult medicine) and family medicine. Kelly Radtke, NP, RN, FNP is affiliated with University of Colorado Health (UCHealth), CU Medicine, UNIVERSITY PHYSICIANS INCORPORATED and UCHealth Vascular Surgery - Anschutz Medical Campus.
12505 E. 16th Avenue 3rd Floor
Aurora, CO 80045
1500 Park Central Drive
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
Angioplasty
Angioplasty is a common, minimally invasive procedure performed to restore blood flow in arteries and veins that have become narrowed or blocked. Age or illness can cause plaque to build up at certain spots within the veins and arteries, and if enough collects, it can restrict the flow of blood. Angioplasty uses a tiny balloon at the end of a small, flexible tube to inflate within the narrowed section and open it up again.
Angioplasty may be performed in several different areas of the body and for a variety of reasons, most often:
During angioplasty, a patient is given a sedative while lying on a table under an x-ray machine. A catheter (a thin, flexible, and hollow tube) is inserted into the patient's skin in the arm or groin and guided into the blocked artery. Dye is injected via the catheter, and x-rays are used to position the tip of the catheter exactly at the blockage. The tiny balloon is guided through the catheter and inflated with saline. It pushes the plaque out of the way, squishing it against the walls of the artery. The balloon may be inflated and deflated several times to let blood pass by. A stent, a tiny tube of metal mesh like a spring, may be inserted to help keep the artery open. Then the x-ray is used again to check that blood is flowing properly, the catheter is removed, and the tiny incision is bandaged.
There are no nerves within veins and arteries, so an angioplasty is generally not painful. However, there may be some discomfort at the site of the incision and when the balloon is inflated. Overall, angioplasty is a very effective and low-risk procedure, useful for helping patients avoid more difficult bypass surgery.
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. It happens when the blood vessels carrying blood to the heart, called coronary arteries, narrow and harden. This occurs when cholesterol, a type of fat found in the blood, builds up to form plaque, which sticks to the inner walls of the arteries. As plaque accumulates, less blood can flow through the arteries, which may lead to the following:
Certain factors may increase risk for the disease, like smoking, lack of exercise, being overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. CAD tends to develop over decades, so it can go undetected until it has become quite severe. A diagnosis may be established using such tests as:
Treatments for the disease include medications such as vasodilators, like nitroglycerin, which dilates (widens) the coronary arteries. CAD may also be treated by a procedure called angioplasty with stent placement, where a balloon is inflated inside a diseased artery to flatten the plaque deposits against the artery walls, creating more room for blood to flow.
In some severe cases of the disease, multiple arteries may be blocked, and an open heart surgery called coronary artery bypass surgery may be necessary. This operation transplants a vessel from another part of the body to form a graft that goes past the narrowed arteries, thus enabling blood to flow around those arteries.
She has a state license in Colorado.
Licensed In: Colorado
Kelly Radtke, NP, RN, FNP is associated with these hospitals and organizations:
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Ms. Kelly Radtke specializes in family medicine and vascular surgery and practices in Aurora, CO and Highlands Ranch, CO. Clinical interests for Ms. Radtke include amputation, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and angioplasty. Ms. Radtke's professional affiliations include the University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) and CU Medicine.