Treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia is considered an emergency procedure. Your doctor might suggest angioplasty, in which a catheter (thin tube) is inserted into the blood vessel. A balloon attached to the tip of the catheter is inflated to compress the plaque against the walls of the artery to widen it. Sometimes, a stent (metal mesh) or thrombolytic agents (clot-dissolving medication) are introduced through the catheter to prevent the walls from collapsing and to dissolve the clot respectively. In case of intestinal damage, your surgeon might decide to remove the clot surgically. In rare cases, it may even be necessary to remove the damaged region of the intestine as well.
