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Coronary Artery Stent
Aug 21st 2008
Coronary stents are small metal scaffolds deployed
in conjunction with a balloon angioplasty. This small metal scaffold
helps maintain patency of the blood vessel after angioplasty
and has been shown to reduce the rate of re-blockage with time. There are
many types of stents and which is appropriate for any patient is determined by
the physician performing the procedure. Not all blockages relieved with
balloon angioplasty require stent implantation. This is also determined
by the cardiologist performing the procedure.
The types and construction of stents is an area of active research and stents
are constantly undergoing evolution in terms of the materials utilized, general
construction and method of deployment. Most recently, drug-eluting stents
have been approved for use. These stents are coated with various agents
that are slowly released from the stent in the area of the blood vessel in
which they are deployed. One such agent is called sirolimus which is an
antibiotic that impairs cell growth. Because recurrent blockage in the
area of a balloon angioplasty or stent is more commonly the result of
“scarring” rather than fatty and cholesterol buildup, these agents, which
inhibit cell growth and scarring, lower the risk of recurrent blockage.
The development of drug-eluting stents and similar devices is an area of very
active research with many improvements expected in the near future.
Click here to learn more about coronary stents.