KARACHI, Aug 22: The technique of angioplasty — or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in technical parlance — took off in the country in the early ‘90s at only a handful of health-care centres. Today more than 20 centres are involved in performing this procedure, achieving results comparable to western laboratories.

According to a press release, the procedure is safer as compared to open-heart surgery, takes a shorter amount of time, and has a shorter recovery period.

The press release, issued by the Liaquat National Hospital’s cardiology department, added that a course on revascularization was being held on Saturday and Sunday in collaboration with the Pakistan Cardiac Society and Pakistan Society of Intervention Cardiology which would be attended by most of the eminent cardiologists of the country.

Besides lecture programmes, live cases would be telecast from the cardiac cath laboratories. The cases would be telecast from 10am onwards, added the release. The scientific session would commence at 10.30am.