What is the purpose of a heart stent?

Question

How is a heart stent implanted?

Answer 1

The angioplasty procedure usually consists of most of the following steps and is performed by physicians, nurses, Radilological technologists and cardiac invasive specialist; all whom have extensive and specialized training in these types of procedures.
A small mesh tube, or "stent", is introduced into the blood vessel or artery to prop it open using percutaneous methods. Angioplasty with stenting is a viable alternative to heart surgery. It has consistently been shown to reduce symptoms due to coronary artery disease and to reduce cardiac ischemia, but has not been shown in large trials to reduce mortality due to coronary artery disease, except in patients being treated for a heart attack acutely (also called primary angioplasty).

1. Access into the femoral artery in the leg (or, less commonly, into the radial artery or brachial artery in the arm) is created by a device called an "introducer needle". This procedure is often termed percutaneous access.
2. Once access into the artery is gained, a "sheath introducer" is placed in the opening to keep the artery open and control bleeding.
3. Through this sheath, a long, flexible, soft plastic tube called a "guiding catheter" is pushed. The tip of the guiding catheter is placed at the mouth of the coronary artery. The guiding catheter also allows for radiopaque dyes (usually iodine based) to be injected into the coronary artery, so that the disease state and location can be readily assessed using real time x-ray visualization.
4. During the x-ray visualization, the cardiologist estimates the size of the coronary artery and selects the type of balloon catheter and coronary guidewire that will be used during the case. Heparin (a "blood thinner" or medicine used to prevent the formation of clots) is given to maintain blood flow.
5. The coronary guidewire which is an extremely thin wire with a radiopauqe flexible tip that is inserted into through the guiding catheter and into the coronary artery. While visualizing again by real-time x-ray imaging, the cardiologist guides the wire through the coronary artery to the site of the stenosis or blockage. The tip of the wire is then passed across the blockage. The cardiologist controls the movement and direction of the guide wire by gently manipulating the end that sits outside the patient through twisting of the guidewire.
6. While the guidewire is in place, it now acts as the pathway to the stenosis. The tip of the angioplasty or balloon catheter is hollow and is then inserted at the back of the guidewire--thus the guidewire is now inside of the angioplasty catheter. The angioplasty catheter is gently pushed forward, until the deflated balloon is inside of the blockage.
7. The balloon is then inflated, and it compresses the atheromatous plaque and stretches the artery wall to expand.
8. If an expandable wire mesh tube (stent) was on the balloon, then the stent will be implanted (left behind) to support the new stretched open position of the artery from the inside.

Answer 2

A coronary heart stent is a ingredient of a technique stated as a balloon angioplasty. The technique is composed of the situation of a coronary balloon with a stent (a steel meshed tube) fastened on suitable right into a vessel that has a partial or finished blockage. The balloon is inflated pushing the plaque contained in the vessel to the side. The technique is way less invasive than an open coronary heart surgical treatment and many times the affected person would properly be out and in of the wellbeing facility in under 24 hours. New concepts can enable a affected person to have all of this carried out contained in the direction of the a radial artery (wrist) get right of entry to. The sufferers can pass domicile in under 4 hours with heavily more suitable coronary vasculature.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

amembal4444 gave an excellent answer. In shorter terms a stent is used to keep a clogged artery open so it doesn't cause future heart attacks. It is inserted during a procedure where a thin wire is inserted into the leg and threaded into the artery on the heart. It is then released and expanded. It remains in place for the rest of your life and will eventully become a part of the wall of the artery.

Answer 5

the purpose of a stent is to expand and keep open a blood vessel that feeds blood to the heart muscle. It is inserted thru a cathetar that has been run thru the aorta from the femoral artery.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4721
see the site for more information

Answer 6

usually inserted through a groin artery.. It helps hold the artery it is placed in, open or stabilizes an artery that is thin and stretched.

Answer 7

Try webmd.com and see what they have on it. I know it's surgically implanted, but that's all I know.