Patients who have suffered an AMI may require invasive treatment such as balloon angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery. Balloon angioplasty involves threading a deflated balloon (via a catheter) through a major artery to the affected coronary artery. The balloon is then inflated to break the blockage and expand the artery in order to restore adequate blood flow (reperfusion).

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In coronary bypass surgery, the obstructed coronary arteries are bypassed via new, surgically constructed conduits.

Intravenous thrombolytic therapy, for dissolution of the clot, provides a noninvasive, pharmacological alternative that tends to be used among patients who present within 6 hours after onset of AMI.