You often hear of patients having to have a stent put into their heart, during a coronary angioplasty following a cardiac event. As it has become a regular procedure in recent years, we wanted to write an article to increase awareness of what this procedure is and what it entails, should it become necessary for yourself or a loved one.

The Basics – What Is a Stent?

A stent is a short tube made of mesh wire. It acts like a mini scaffold inside the heart to help keep your artery open. There are 2 types of stents – uncoated bare metal and a drug-eluting stent that is coated with medication intended to reduce the risk of the artery becoming re-blocked.

Things to know before getting a stent placed

The risk of the bare stent is that the body sees it as a foreign object, and tissue may grow around and block it causing another heart attack.

The medication-eluting stent helps avoid the issue, but you may need to take blood-thinning medications while it heals for up to a year.

For both forms, you will need to take an aspirin per morning for the rest of your life.

What is coronary angioplasty?

A coronary angioplasty is a procedure used to widen blocked or narrowed coronary arteries (the main blood vessels that supply the heart). These are done in cases of atherosclerosis and heart disease where angina is prevalent and heart attack has happened or is at high risk.

Having a coronary angioplasty can help prevent future heart attacks and is considered a minimally invasive procedure.

This may require an overnight stay, or you may be able to be released and go home and rest a few hours after the procedure depending on your doctor’s advice.

The Cardiac Surgeons at Tampa Cardiovascular Associates are experts in the field of coronary angioplasty and placing stents. If you are looking for world-class care give our office a call at 813-975-2800 or visit us online at www.tampacardio.com to learn more.