A heart attack can continue even after a blocked artery is successfully cleared
Clearing a blocked artery is only half the battle, as a phenomenon known as no-reflow can keep a heart attack active by clogging the microscopic vessels that supply life-sustaining blood.
Even after a surgeon successfully clears a major artery during angioplasty, the heart attack can persist due to the no-reflow phenomenon. This occurs in up to 40% of severe cases when microscopic debris, measuring only 10 to 100 microns, breaks loose and clogs the heart's tiny capillary network. These vessels are so small that they cannot be reached by traditional surgical tools.
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