Stents how many

These stents are called drug-eluting stents, and the medication helps keep arteries open. Stents without medication are called bare-metal stents. Stents are occasionally used to treat plaque buildup in arteries of the kidneys or limbs, but most cardiac stents are inserted into coronary arteries after a heart attack, during a coronary angioplasty, or to treat carotid artery disease CAD.

Cardiac stents are most commonly used after heart attacks, when patients need immediate intervention to keep their arteries open and improve blood flow. A coronary angioplasty, also known as a percutaneous coronary intervention, is a nonsurgical and minimally invasive procedure used to open clogged arteries and treat heart disease. The procedure involves temporarily inserting a balloon where an artery is clogged to help expand the artery, and it is often combined with the permanent placement of a cardiac stent.

CAD causes a buildup of cholesterol plaque arteriosclerosis in arteries that run up the neck and lead to the heart, leaving patients at a high risk for stroke. Stents are used as a treatment for CAD. The goal of inserting a cardiac stent is to expand a narrow artery, and the procedure can usually occur under local anesthesia. There are a few steps to this process:.

However, during this procedure, complications such as heart valve damage and tears or punctures to the arteries can occur. Benefits of cardiac stents are clear: These devices can restore blood flow in the arteries of patients and prevent further damage to their heart.

Angioplasty is used to treat atherosclerosis, a kind of heart disease caused by the buildup of fatty plaques in veins and arteries. Plaques increase the likelihood of clots in the arteries, which could ultimately lead to a heart attack.

Following a cardiac procedure, heart stents support the inner wall of the artery and reduce the chance that arteries will revert to their narrow state. Doctors may also use stents as a treatment for carotid artery disease CAD. CAD causes the buildup of plaques inside the arteries that run up the neck—clots in this area leave patients at great risk for stroke. Stents are also occasionally used to treat plaque buildup in other areas of the body, such as arteries in the kidneys or limbs, or even in the aorta itself.

Stents are most appropriately used for patients have suffered a heart attack, and who urgently need intervention for their arteries. A study in the Journal of American Medicine found that approximately 12 percent of , non-emergency heart catheterization procedures performed were medically inappropriate and another 38 percent were of uncertain value.

However, this is normal and is nothing to worry about. The pain should go away when the balloon is deflated.

Ask your cardiologist for pain medication if you find it uncomfortable. You shouldn't feel anything else as the catheter moves through the artery, but you may feel an occasional missed or extra heartbeat. This is nothing to worry about and is completely normal. If you're having a stent inserted see below , it will be already fitted onto a balloon and opens up as the balloon is inflated.

The stent will be left inside your artery after the balloon is deflated and removed. When the operation is finished, the cardiologist will check that your artery is wide enough to allow blood to flow through more easily. This is done by monitoring a small amount of contrast dye as it flows through the artery.

The balloon, wire, catheter and sheath are then removed and any bleeding is stopped with a dissolvable plug or firm pressure. In some cases, the sheath is left in place for a few hours or overnight before being removed.

A coronary angioplasty often involves an overnight stay in hospital, but many people can go home on the same day if the procedure is straightforward.

After the operation, you won't be able to drive for 1 week, so you'll need to arrange for someone to drive you home from hospital. Read more about recovering from a coronary angioplasty. A stent is a short, wire-mesh tube that acts like a scaffold to help keep your artery open. There are 2 main types of stent:.

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