A stent is a tiny, expandable metal mesh coil that is used to keep an artery open and improve blood flow to the heart. Stents are used in a procedure called angioplasty, which is used to open blocked coronary arteries caused by coronary artery disease. During the procedure, a catheter is inserted into the blood vessels to the heart, and a balloon at the end of the catheter is inflated to open up the narrowed artery. The stent, which is already fitted onto the balloon, opens up as the balloon is inflated and is left inside the artery after the balloon is deflated and removed.
There are two main types of stents: bare metal stents (BMS) and drug-eluting stents (DES) . BMS are uncoated and may have higher rates of stenosis, but they dont require long-term use of antiplatelet medicines. DES, on the other hand, are coated with medicine to prevent scar tissue from forming inside the stent. They release medicine within the blood vessel that slows the overgrowth of tissue within the stent, which helps prevent the blood vessel from becoming narrow again. However, DES also delays the healing of the coronary artery around the stent, and its vitally important to keep taking blood-thinning treatment for up to 1 year after the procedure to reduce the risk of a blood clot blocking the stent suddenly and causing a heart attack.
Stents are used to treat a variety of artery and other problems, including narrowed coronary arteries, carotid arteries, and peripheral arterial disease. After the procedure, patients may need to take certain medications to help reduce the risk of blood clots forming around the stent. Its important to talk with your healthcare team about what you need to do if you have chest pain after a stent placement, as stents can become blocked. If scar tissue does form inside the stent, a repeat procedure may be necessary, using either balloon angioplasty or with a second stent. In some cases, radiation therapy may be given through a catheter placed near the scar tissue to stop the growth of scar tissue and open up the vessel.
