When a blockage (stenosis) within an artery prevents that vessel from delivering an adequate supply of blood to the tissues it serves, the body can sometimes compensate by developing and/or opening small specialised vessels to transfer blood form "healthier" arteries to the deprived tissues that are downstream of the blockage. The result of these special vascular networks that channel blood from one arterial branch to another is termed collateral circulation. The natural development of collaterals, however, is a gradual process, and heart patients often cannot produce them in the time or quantity necessary to relieve or reduce symptoms.
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