Question: How do cardiac stents work? Why do they sometimes fail?
Dr. Hibberd’s Answer:
Cardiac tents are used to help combat blood vessel disease, and to treat cases of blood vessel blockage or collapse by growths such as tumors.
Modern stents have revolutionized the treatment of arterial disease. They are generally made of an expandable mesh material and when placed correctly, resist compression and prevent collapse of the affected blood vessel.
Peripheral stents are far safer than invasive grafting for most peripheral arterial disease. Cardiac stents can be quickly inserted for coronary artery disease, but there are still times when surgical bypass is preferable.
Renal artery stents may save you from renal failure and dialysis. Unfortunately, larger arterial trunks, such as the carotid vessels, aorta, and other central arteries, may be better managed surgically in many cases. Although carotid artery stenting is available, there is not enough data and experience with it to say it is safer or superior to the more conventional surgical method of opening vessels, known as endarterectomy.
Stents can fail when they allow clots to form. The stents themselves rarely collapse. Most stent failures relate to the discontinuation of blood thinner agents before the vascular endothelium, or lining, has regrown into the stented area, or when the affected vessels have formed further narrowing before or after the stent is inside the blood vessel.
If you have a partially blocked blood vessel, have it stented or repaired before it is completely blocked. Once blockage has occurred, the likelihood of stent failure and re-occlusion is greatly increased.
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