What is "atherectomy"

n. (context surgery English) The surgical procedure to remove plaque from an artery.

Atherectomy is a minimally invasive endovascular surgery technique for removing atherosclerosis from blood vessels within the body. It is an alternative to angioplasty for the treatment of peripheral artery disease, with no evidence of superiority to angioplasty. It has also been used to treat coronary artery disease, albeit ineffectively.