It is not a substitute for medically approved interventional procedures (stent or by-pass). The American Heart Association has reviewed the available literature on using chelation (E.D.T.A., ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) to treat arteriosclerotic heart disease. They found no scientific evidence to demonstrate any benefit from this form of therapy.
Chelation therapy is a recognized treatment for heavy metal (such as lead) poisoning. EDTA, injected into the blood, will bind the metals and allow them to be removed from the body in the urine. Chelation therapy is not approved by the FDA to treat coronary artery disease, but some physicians and alternative medicine practitioners use it for this purpose.