Door-to-Balloon

Door-to-balloon describes the time period starting when a heart attack patient enters the hospital to when blood flow is restored through a balloon angioplasty or other percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Goshen Heart & Vascular Center is a consistent receiver of the American College of Cardiology ACTION Registry®-GWTG Platinum Performance Achievement Award, which recognizes us for exceptional heart attack treatment. The standards of this distinction require a door-to-balloon time of 90 minutes or less.

If you are showing signs of a heart attack, call 911. Our team of cardiologists and other specialists work together to provide leading-edge emergency treatment, including fast door-to-balloon times. Trust us to provide effective, lifesaving interventions.

What to expect from balloon angioplasty

A heart attack occurs when plaque buildup or a blood clot in a coronary artery blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. The heart doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood, and its tissue starts to die.

At our catheterization lab, our emergency team can quickly diagnose your heart attack and begin PCI to clear the blockage to save your life.

Balloon angioplasty, or simply angioplasty, involves a tiny balloon on the end of a catheter (a long, thin tube). One of our fellowship trained interventional cardiologists threads the catheter through an artery to the site of the blockage, then inflates the balloon to push and flatten the plaque against the inside blood vessel walls. This opens the passage and restores blood flow to the heart. The sooner this procedure is done after a heart attack, the higher chance of success.

Heart attack treatment you can rely on

The longer it takes to restore blood flow, the more heart damage that occurs. A shorter door-to-balloon time can not only save your life, but reduce your risk of complications, such as heart failure or arrhythmia.

At Goshen Heart & Vascular Center, we are committed to the heart health of our community. We not only work hard to provide fast door-to-balloon times, but partner with heart attack patients through Rehabilitation Therapy and heart-healthy lifestyle changes.

To protect your heart health and prevent heart attack, talk to your primary care provider about a heart screening. If you don’t have a primary care provider, call (574) 537-5000 for a referral.