The risk of re-narrowing of the artery is higher when bare-metal stents are used. Blood clots. Blood clots can form within stents even after the procedure. These clots can close the artery, causing a heart attack.
A stent is a small mesh tube put into an artery to keep it open. A drug-eluting stent is coated with a slow-release medication to help prevent blood clots from forming in a stent. Blood clotting in a stent can cause a future blockage (restenosis) and may lead to a heart attack.
Originally, stents were made of bare metal. But sometimes, cells from the inner artery walls grew over and around the metal, like a scab on a wound. Known as restenosis, the process can re-block blood flow through the artery, causing chest pain (angina) and, in some cases, a heart attack.
How long will a stent last? It is permanent. There is just a 2–3 per cent risk of narrowing coming back, and if that happens it is usually within 6–9 months. If it does, it can potentially be treated with another stent.
Stenting ensures that a particularly blocked artery remains open and blood flows through it regularly but if you follow a sedentary lifestyle, chances are high that you might block any other of your arteries and suffer a heart attack again.
Along with these two critical components, follow your cardiologist's advice and take your prescribed medicines on time to manage your blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol. As a result, even after implanting stents in three major coronary arteries, if correctly controlled, you can live a long life.
While stents offer a minimally invasive way to reopen a blocked artery, bypass surgery also remains a leading treatment for people with complex coronary artery disease (CAD).
Symptoms like fatigue, chest pain or shortness of breath can indicate in-stent restenosis. If you experience symptoms, you should contact your healthcare provider. Newer, safer drug-eluting stents can lower your risk of developing in-stent restenosis.
Alternative types of coronary angioplasty
percutaneous transluminal coronary rotational atherectomy (PTCRA) – where a small rotating device is used to remove the fatty deposit. percutaneous laser coronary angioplasty – where a laser is used to burn through the fatty deposit.
It generally takes most people a couple of weeks to start returning to their normal activities after angioplasty/stenting. Before you leave hospital, you'll be given detailed instructions for exercise, medications, follow-up appointments, ongoing wound care and resuming normal activities.
The patient may be asked to reduce salt intake and avoid sugary foods, which contribute to weight gain and further risks of heart diseases. Final note: Life after stent placement does change. Based on how well one follows their doctor's advice, it can even lead to a better quality of life than before.
As recommended in the National Disease Management Guidelines (6), patients with coronary heart disease and those who have undergone stent implantation should be followed up regularly (every three to six months) by their primary care physicians, independently of any additional visits that may be necessitated by ...
Jumping straight into high intensity exercise could potentially aggravate the stent and cause it to collapse (particularly immediately post-angioplasty).
You will need to take antiplatelet medicines, or blood thinners, to prevent blood clots from forming in the stents in your arteries. Your provider may prescribe these medicines for 1 year or more after getting a coronary stent. For carotid or peripheral artery stents, it may be 1 month or more.
What are the important things that you should be aware of if you intend to take a flight with a heart stent? If you do not have any complications after the heart surgery, you can fly on a commercial flight with a medical escort, after waiting for the required period of time.
It does make sense to consider a stent, however, if your symptoms such as chest pain aren't relieved by medication and lifestyle changes, says Khaled Ziada, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. In these cases, or if symptoms happen even at rest, a stent may help make you feel better.
Sometimes heart problems return after a stent procedure. If that happens, you usually have symptoms—like chest pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath. If you do have symptoms, a stress test can help your doctor see what's going on. It can show if a blockage has returned or if there's a new blockage.
It is also possible that you are experiencing discomfort because the stent is taking time to settle. This is quite normal, but make an appointment to see your GP and check if they want to review your medications. Find out about better stents for the future.
You will not set off any metal detectors after stent implantation. By the same token, you will not have to take antibiotics before surgical or dental procedures to prevent bacteria from infecting your stent, unless your doctor specifically orders it.