A stent is a small, expandable tube placed inside an artery to open it up and improve blood flow. Stents are often used to treat coronary artery disease (CAD) when the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart become clogged with fatty deposits.
The use of stents instead of bypass surgery has become more common over the last decade because they’re less invasive and less likely to have complications. There are many types of stents available today, each with its unique benefits and drawbacks. Newer stent designs offer better outcomes than older ones but may also come at a higher cost. This article will function as an introduction to stents. It will help people understand when they are required and how the stent is installed into the body. This is obviously just a beginning look into stents. For more than a cursory introduction, it’s good to speak with your doctor.
Conditions Requiring Stents
It’s important to know if a stent is right for you and if it’s really necessary. Knowing conditions that require a stent can help you, and your doctor decides whether or not it’s the best option for you. Some conditions which might require a stent include:
- Atherosclerosis - Atherosclerosis is a hardening of the arteries caused by plaque build-up in the vessel walls, restricting blood flow. The condition is most commonly treated with stenting, which aims to reduce your risk of having another heart attack or stroke due to narrowed or blocked artery(s).
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) - When narrowed coronary arteries reduce blood flow to the heart muscle, angina (chest pain) or a heart attack may occur. A stent relieves symptoms caused by narrowing the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. It opens up the clogged artery and restores normal blood flow to the heart muscle.
- Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) - PAD is a condition in which plaque builds up in the leg arteries, restricting blood flow and sometimes leading to pain, numbness, or coldness in the legs. A stent is used to treat PAD when drugs and other nonsurgical measures fail to relieve claudication pain caused by peripheral artery disease.
- Aneurysm - An aneurysm is a bulge or weakening in the wall of a blood vessel. Stents may be used after aneurysms have been surgically repaired to prevent re-rupture or further damage to the artery wall as it heals from surgery.
Stent Materials
Stents can be made of metal, such as platinum-chromium alloy, or plastic, usually PVA. The type you receive depends on what is best for your condition, but some hospitals use only one type. Stents are usually covered with a soft material, so they don’t scratch or irritate the artery.
Most stents are made of metal mesh covered in a plastic coating. Some stents have an entirely metal mesh surface, but these aren’t used as often because they can cause bleeding and other complications. The mesh is shaped like an artery, expanding to fit inside the artery and holding its shape. The mesh also has tiny holes so blood can flow through it easily.
The material used to make stents is biocompatible, meaning it’s not harmful to the body and won’t cause an adverse reaction when it’s implanted in your body.
Stent Procedure
The doctor will first ensure that you are healthy enough for the procedure. They will put the patient under. The doctor may use an angiography machine, which shows the blood vessels on X-rays to guide the insertion of the stent. The doctor will inject a special dye into your blood vessels, making them visible on an X-ray. The doctor then takes X-rays of your heart and arteries to see if there are any blockages.
Next, they’ll insert a thin tube called a catheter into an artery in your groin or wrist. The catheter is about the thickness of a drinking straw and has a tiny balloon at its tip that they’ll use to push the stent into place. The doctor will advance it through the narrowed artery until it reaches the narrowed area where they want to put the stent.
The doctor will inflate the balloon with air to open the artery and expand the stent from its compressed state within the artery wall to support it while it heals. Afterward, you may experience mild discomfort or bruising at the site where you were treated with a stent implantation procedure or during your recovery period.
After the surgery, the cardiologist will measure the diameter of your artery to make sure it’s broad enough for blood to flow through more freely. The passage of a modest quantity of contrast dye via the artery is monitored in this procedure.