Which of the following is a type of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)?

A stent is a type of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) that is specifically designed to treat narrowed or blocked coronary arteries. During this procedure, a catheter is typically inserted through a small incision in the skin and threaded through the blood vessels to the site of the blockage. A balloon attached to the catheter is inflated to open the narrowed artery, and then a stent, which is a small mesh tube, is placed to keep the artery open. This helps improve blood flow to the heart muscle and reduces the risk of heart attacks or other cardiovascular complications.

In contrast, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a surgical procedure that creates new pathways for blood to flow to the heart by bypassing blocked arteries, making it distinct from PCI, which is minimally invasive. An echocardiogram (echo) is a diagnostic imaging technique used to visualize heart structures and assess cardiac function, not an intervention. Cardiac rehabilitation focuses on improving cardiovascular health through exercise, education, and lifestyle changes rather than being a direct intervention for coronary artery blockage. Therefore, the stent is the only option among the choices that qualifies as a PCI, making it the correct answer.