Remodeling of a coronary artery assessed with intracoronary ultrasound

Remodeling is a physiologic way of maintaining blood flow as plaque builds up inside an artery. The wall of the artery expands as the plaque accumulates, keeping the lumen open as long as possible. The reverse of this process, negative remodeling, can happen after angioplasty, as contraction of the treated segment leads to accelerated renarrowing or "restenosis."