Why stents

Different types of drug-eluting stents are coated with different medicines. Learn about new types of stents being developed, including a biodegradable stent. Read more. Read less. Look for. Who Needs It? Getting a Stent will explain the procedure for placing a stent in a patient. Aortic aneurysm or dissection. Carotid artery disease. Ischemic heart disease. Lung conditions. Conditions that may lead to this include: A congenital problem. A problem at birth can cause the airways to be too narrow.

Infections or diseases. Infections, inflammatory diseases such as sarcoidosis , or any problem in the body that presses on the lungs can narrow the airways. An airway may become narrowed or blocked from injury. Injuries can include side effects from intubation, which involves having a tube guided down into the lungs, or tracheostomy.

Lung transplant complications. Sometimes after a lung transplant, problems occur within the airways of the new lungs. An airway may collapse, or a hole may form where the transplanted lungs were stitched together. A tumor may block the airways within the lungs.

Cancer treatment, such as radiation or chemotherapy, can sometimes damage the connection between an airway and an organ like the trachea. This connection prevents the airway from working correctly. A stent may be used to help open the airway. Learn more in our How the Lungs Work topic. Peripheral artery disease.

When a stent may not be recommended. An artery stent may not be recommended in the following circumstances: Your condition is mild. Your doctor may monitor your condition, start you on medicine, and recommend heart-healthy lifestyle changes. You have multiple narrowed coronary arteries , chronic kidney disease, or diabetes. Your doctor may recommend coronary artery bypass graft surgery CABG instead of the coronary stent procedure. You are older or have certain risk factors for complications.

Your doctor may recommend another procedure instead of a carotid stent if you are over age 70, as the risk of complications, including stroke, may be higher. Stent grafts may be riskier for older patients or those with conditions such as renal failure or heart failure.

For all procedures, your doctor will consider your health, talk to you about the risks, and make a decision with you and your family. An airway stent may not be recommended in the following circumstances: You cannot have anesthesia or sedation. You need future procedures. Some lung procedures, such as laser therapy, can break or burn the stent.

The stent can also get in the way if your lung requires surgery for other reasons. Before Getting a Stent will discuss the conditions that these devices treat. Before Getting a Stent - Stents. Diagnostic tests and procedures. To diagnose narrowed arteries or an aortic aneurysm, your doctor may have you undergo some of the following tests and procedures: Chest magnetic resonance imaging MRI to look for aneurysms in the aorta.

This test works well for detecting aneurysms and pinpointing their size and exact location. These tests may give your doctor more information about the flow of blood and whether arteries are narrowed or have aneurysms. Coronary angiography to see how blood flows through your coronary arteries. This type of test involves injecting dye into your blood so that your blood vessels can be seen by X-ray. Fractional flow reserve can help determine how narrow the artery is.

This is an added test done during CTA or coronary angiography to check the blood pressure in a specific artery. Ultrasound to see whether plaque has narrowed or blocked your carotid or peripheral arteries or to see if you have an aneurysm and where it may be located.

This painless test uses high-energy sound waves to create pictures of the insides of your blood vessels. Echocardiography echo to evaluate the structure and function of your heart. Echocardiography uses sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart. Nuclear imaging to see whether the blood is flowing normally to the heart. Your doctor will inject a tracer substance that will show whether the heart is receiving enough blood flow. To diagnose narrowed airways, your doctor may have you undergo some of the following tests and procedures: Bronchoscopy to figure out the location and severity of the narrowed airway Chest CT scan to see whether one of your airways is being affected by a tumor, pneumonia, mucus, or other problem Pulmonary function tests to measure how well your lungs are working.

Preparing for the stenting procedure. Before your procedure, you will be given detailed information, including: When you should stop eating or drinking If and when you should start or stop taking medicines When to arrive at the hospital and where to go How long you should expect to stay What happens during the procedure What to expect after the procedure, including potential complications, such as bleeding or soreness What to do after the procedure, such as what medicines to take How to live with your stent.

Living With a Stent will discuss the importance of following your treatment plan. Coronary and carotid artery stenting. The procedure to place a coronary stent is called percutaneous coronary intervention PCI , commonly known as coronary angioplasty. Sometimes the procedure is done in an emergency, such as during a heart attack.

The stent provides support to the artery after the artery is re-opened. The procedure to place a stent in the carotid artery is called carotid artery stenting.

This is a minimally invasive treatment for severe carotid artery disease. Placing a stent in a coronary artery. These figures show how a stent is placed in a coronary artery that is narrowed from atherosclerotic plaque. The first image shows the coronary arteries surrounding the heart.

Then, a close-up of an artery containing plaque shows a catheter, with a balloon attached and a stent wrapped around the balloon, is directed toward the narrowed area of the artery. The next image shows the balloon being inflated to push the artery open. The stent is opened at the same time. The final image shows the stent in the newly opened artery, after the catheter and balloon are removed. Placing a stent in a carotid artery. These images show how a stent is placed in a carotid artery.

The top middle inset figure shows the location of carotid arteries in the neck. Figure A shows how plaque can narrow the carotid artery, decreasing blood flow to the brain. Figure B shows how a catheter with a balloon and stent can be inserted into the carotid artery. Figure C shows how the stent is expanded once the artery is opened. The inset image on the left shows a cross-section of an artery containing plaque compared to the inset figure on the right, which shows a cross-section of an artery after a stent is placed.

Aortic aneurysm stenting. Aortic aneurysm repair. The illustration shows the placement of a stent graft in an abdominal aortic aneurysm. In figure A, a catheter is inserted into an artery in the upper thigh. The catheter is threaded to the abdominal aorta, and the stent graft is released from the catheter. In figure B, the stent graft is placed and allows blood to flow through the aorta. You may also have a procedure called an angiogram before your angioplasty. You have the angiogram first to look inside your arteries to check where the blockages are.

Sometimes your cardiologist will do the angiogram first but then continue on to do the angioplasty as part of the same procedure. You'll be asked not to eat or drink anything for 4 to 6 hours before a coronary angioplasty.

You'll usually be able to take most medications as normal up to the day of the procedure, with the exception of blood-thinning medication anticoagulants , such as warfarin. You may also need to alter the timing of any diabetes medication you take. Speak to your medical team for more information about whether you need to change the way you take your medicines before your operation.

Read more about preparing for an operation. A coronary angioplasty usually takes place in a room called a catheterisation laboratory, rather than in an operating theatre. This is a room fitted with X-ray equipment to allow the doctor to monitor the procedure on a screen. A coronary angioplasty usually takes between 30 minutes and 2 hours, although it can take longer. You'll be asked to lie on your back on an X-ray table.

You'll be linked up to a heart monitor and given a local anaesthetic to numb your skin. An intravenous IV line will also be inserted into a vein, in case you need to have painkillers or a sedative. The cardiologist then makes a small incision in the skin of your groin, wrist or arm, over an artery where your pulse can be felt.

A small tube called a sheath is inserted into the artery to keep it open during the procedure. Research health conditions Check your symptoms Prepare for a doctor's visit or test Find the best treatments and procedures for you Explore options for better nutrition and exercise Learn more about the many benefits and features of joining Harvard Health Online ».

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I want to get healthier. This stent prevents the artery from re-closing. A drug-eluting stent is coated with a medicine.

This medicine helps further prevent the arteries from re-closing. Like other coronary artery stents, it is left permanently in the artery.

Stents are commonly used to treat the following conditions that result from blocked or damaged blood vessels:. Harunarashid H. Vascular and endovascular surgery. Principles and Practice of Surgery.

Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Teirstein PS.