An angioplasty assembly having a guidewire device for use in peripheral vascular and coronary angioplasty applications. The guidewire invention has one or more angioplasty devices mounted directly on the distal tip of the guidewire. In one embodiment the angioplasty device includes an angioplasty balloon. In another embodiment, the device includes a stent balloon with expandable stent, or a self-expanding stent, or combinations of these. Preferably, the guidewire is housed within a hypotube. Optionally, the hypotube may house a retractable piercing element with a distal loop 3 suitable for piercing a vessel wall. The guidewire allows an angioplasty procedure to be completed using a single device.
