Have you ever heard of a "stent" being placed? Maybe you've heard of one of your family members or friends having one. Often, the word stent comes up when there's a heart problem. So, what is a stent? Why are these things placed? Let's talk about this in detail today, okay?
What is a stent?
Simply put, a stent is a very small, mesh-like tube. It's like a rolled-up piece of mesh. This is what your doctor can put inside one of your arteries, or blood vessels, and keep it open. Imagine that a blood vessel has a buildup of plaque , or cholesterol, that's blocking the flow of blood. The doctor will first remove the plaque and clear the way. Then they'll put the stent in place to keep the artery from getting clogged again. It's like something you put in to control a traffic jam. It helps the blood flow more easily .
This stent is usually permanently placed inside your artery (some dissolvable types are now available, but permanent ones are the most common). They are often made of metal. However, some special types of stents are made of other materials. A coronary stent, which is placed in the arteries of the heart, can be anywhere from 8 to 48 millimeters long, or about 2 inches. It can be about 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter. That's about the size of a new crayon tip or the size of a new pencil eraser. However, stents placed in other places can be much larger.
Where is a stent placed?
Many people think that stents are only used in the blood vessels of the heart. But that's not true. In addition to blood vessels, doctors also use stents to keep things like the airways , bile ducts , and ureters from becoming blocked. But stents placed in the airways are often used as a temporary solution until major surgery can be performed.
What types of stents are there?
There are different types of stents. Let's look at a few of the main types.
Bare Metal Stent
These are made of just metals, for example `(nickel-titanium alloy)`, `(stainless steel)` or `(cobalt-chromium)`. These are a bit of an old technology that has been used for a long time. They are inserted into the arteries of your heart (coronary arteries) or the arteries in your neck (carotid arteries).
Drug-Eluting Stent
This is the most popular type used now. The metal of this stent has a special drug coated on it. This drug prevents the artery where the stent is placed from narrowing again. That is, it stops the formation of unnecessary scar tissue inside the stent during the first few months. This keeps the artery open.
Biodegradable Stent
This is a new technology. It is still in limited use. After this type of stent is placed in an artery, it dissolves inside the body within a few months . This means you don't have to keep a piece of metal in your body permanently.
Polyester fabric and metal stent
These are slightly larger stents. They are used in large blood vessels like the aorta. They are made of polyester fabric and metal.
Silicone Stent
Doctors use these to keep an airway open in your lungs .
Why use a stent?
Doctors use stents mainly to stop blood flow from being obstructed by narrowing or complete blockage of an artery. You may need a stent if:
- If you have a heart attack .
- If you have atherosclerosis , which means that fat deposits have built up inside the arteries, narrowing the blood flow.
- If more than 70% of one of your arteries is severely blocked .
Imagine, for example, that a water pipe in your garden is clogged with moss and dirt, causing the water to flow slowly or stop completely. A stent is a small support placed inside the pipe, allowing the water to flow properly again.
What conditions are treated with a stent?
By removing the fatty deposits inside the arteries by inserting a stent, the blood vessels can function properly again. Fat deposits can occur in conditions such as:
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
- Carotid artery disease.
- Renal artery disease.
- Coronary artery disease.
In addition, stent placement can also help people with conditions such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (which can occur in the legs, arms, or pelvis) and aortic aneurysm.
How common is a stent?
In a country like the United States alone, it is said that about 600,000 heart stent surgeries are performed every year. The first time a stent was placed in a human heart was in 1986. Since then, the use of stents has increased significantly. This has now become a common practice in Sri Lanka as well.
What are the benefits of stent placement?
There are several benefits to placing a stent:
- Blood flow is good through the artery where the stent was placed.
- Combined with a treatment called angioplasty, it can stop a heart attack.
- Your symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain will decrease (especially after a stent is placed in an artery in the heart).
- It can prevent your artery from narrowing again.
- A person who has a stent placed may recover more quickly than someone who has a coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) because stent placement is a minimally invasive procedure that is performed through a relatively small incision.
Imagine, when you suddenly feel chest pain, have difficulty breathing, and go to the hospital, and the doctors say that a blood vessel in your heart is blocked and you need to insert a stent immediately. How much of a life-saving device would this little device be at that time?
What are the risks or complications of stent placement?
Serious complications from stent placement are rare, but people with heart disease, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, or previous artery blockages are at higher risk of serious complications.
Here are some of the possible risks:
- A blood clot forms inside the stent. This can happen, especially if you suddenly stop taking the medication that protects the stent.
- An allergic reaction to the stent itself or the medication applied to it.
- Bleeding from the site where the doctor used to enter the artery.
- An infection.
- A tear inside the artery.
- Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).
- Bleeding from the stent or movement from its location.
- Lung collapse/explosion `(Pneumothorax)`.
- Then the artery narrows again (Restenosis).
- A heart attack or cardiac arrest.
- A stroke-like condition.
These things can be a little scary to hear. But remember, these things are very rare. Your doctor will keep you informed about all of these.
Do I need to take medication after having a stent placed?
Yes, absolutely. Your doctor will prescribe you antiplatelet medications . These medications work by preventing platelets, which are blood cells, from clumping together on the stent and forming a blood clot. If such a clot forms, it could block the artery again.
You will need to take a medicine like aspirin for the rest of your life, and another medicine for a year or more. This is called dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) because it uses two types of medicine.
Researchers are still working out how long you should take this medication. When prescribing this medication, doctors consider many factors, such as your age, gender, lifestyle, other medical conditions, and the type of stent you have.
The most important thing is, do not stop taking this medication for any reason unless your doctor tells you to. Stopping it can cause serious problems.
You may feel a little strange about having something artificially made inside your body. But doctors have been using stents for years, and the companies that make them are constantly improving them. If you learn more about them and ask your doctor questions, you can help ease your fears about having a stent.
Finally, things to remember
A stent is a small, yet very powerful device that helps keep blocked channels open, not just in the heart, but also in other parts of the body.
- It improves blood circulation, reduces symptoms, and sometimes even saves lives.
- There are different types of stents, and your doctor will choose the type that best suits you.
- Although there are some risks, they are very rare. The benefits outweigh them.
- After having a stent placed, it is very important to take the medication your doctor prescribes exactly and for as long as he or she tells you.
So, I hope you now have a better understanding of a stent. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask your doctor. Stay healthy!
` Stent, heart attack, blood vessel blockage, angioplasty, cholesterol, arteries, heart health
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න