Heart Stents

A stent is a wire metal mesh tube used to prop open an artery during angioplasty. The stent is collapsed to a small diameter and put over a balloon catheter. It's then moved into the area of the blockage. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands, locks in place and forms a scaffold. This holds the artery open. The stent stays in the artery permanently, holds it open, improves blood flow to the heart muscle and relieves symptoms (usually chest pain). Within a few weeks of the time the stent was placed, the inside lining of the artery (the endothelium) grows over the metal surface of the stent. Patients who've had a stent procedure must take one or more blood-thinning agents. Examples are aspirin and clopidogrel. These medications help reduce the risk of a blood clot developing in the stent and blocking the artery. For more information visit the following link http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4721

Yes, any heart surgery isn't done "voluntarily." Sounds like your friend is having issues. Please encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle.

I've never heard of stents.. Could be a uk thing but generally anything to do with the heart should be taken seriously and is serious. (least that's how i think of it) ~Joey

My uncle had this done earlier in the year. It's done when the arteries start to get clogged up. The stents help keep the arteries open to prevent a heart attack. I think your friend's condition would be a lot more serious if he didn't have the stents put in.

A stent, in general, is easier on the person than by-pass surgery is. If the stents work (it's rather common to have stents that clog up) then the person can do very well. If not, they will need to have the by-pass surgery the stents are meant to avoid. By-pass is where arteries from the legs are stitched into the heart to by-pass (go around) clogged or damaged areas. Here's hoping that stents are the right thing for your friend. For quite a few they are!