A stent is a small, lattice-shaped, metal tube that is inserted permanently into an artery. The stent helps hold open the artery so that blood can flow through it. Their cousins, drug-eluting stents, are stents that contain drugs that potentially reduce the chance the arteries will become blocked again.

A stent is normally used to hold open an artery that has become too narrow due to atherosclerosis. In atherosclerosis, plaque builds up on the inner walls of arteries. Since arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, we want them to be completely open and free flowing.

As the artery walls thicken, the pathway for blood narrows. This can slow or even block blood flow. The stent acts as a miniature scaffold, holding the walls away from each other and remain in place permanently in order that the artery stays open.

A stent is inserted through a main artery in the groin (femoral artery) or the arm (brachial artery) and threaded up to the affected section of the artery with a tiny balloon catheter. When it reaches the right location, the balloon is slightly inflated to push the plaque out of the way and expand the artery (balloon angioplasty). Once in place, the stent helps hold the artery open so that the heart muscle gets enough blood.

There are potentially negative side-effects that may occur. The insertion of the stent may cause infection, blood clots, or bleeding. Other rare complications of coronary stents include chest pain, heart attack, or tearing of the blood vessel. The stent can also move out of place (stent migration). In some cases, plaque can reappear in the stented artery (in-stent restenosis).

Your doctor can tell you more about the risks associated with stents and drug-eluting stents, and whether you are a good candidate for a stent.

For more info on stents, including a flash visualization of the insertion of a stent, visit the FDA Heart Health Online site.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 7:09 pm and is filed under Heart. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.