Placing of a stent in the heart is helpful for an individual to receive the needed quantity of oxygen and nutrients through the required flow of blood. The deciding factor of placing the stent begins with an angiogram, where the doctor decides whether the patient requires the placement of the stent or is it possible to use the narrowness that appeared in the heart using medication and physical activities. Addition of physical activities has limitations, and the doctor ensures that they do not cause excessive stress on the heart.
Do Stents Really Work?
Stents work most of the time. Stents are placed when the coronary arteries are blocked more than 70%. After the placement of the stent if the patient is not careful in terms of taking medication, changing lifestyle and regular walking or exercising then the blockage of coronary arteries will keep increasing and at this time the stent will fail and the doctor will go for bypass surgery.
Placement of stents is done to save coronary artery system. With the arrangement of a stent in the heart, it is possible for the individual to survive and avoid a heart attack. The reason why the narrowness appears is that of clogged coronary artery system. The cholesterol particles attached to the blood results making it impossible for the blood to pass at the required rate and provide the needed oxygen levels. If the heart receives in appropriate quantities of nutrients and oxygen levels, one will experience chest pain or collapse of other organs in the body.
A stent is available in metal as well as an absorbable material. Choosing either of the element depends on the severity condition under which the patient arrived for the operation. In many of the cases, cardiologists opt for metal stents, as they stay in position permanently and help avoid re-occurrence of the narrowness in the heart. The recovery period depends on how the patient is following the post-recovery instructions provided by the doctor. Once the heart tissues grow around the stent, the position becomes permanent, and the coronary artery system adjusts to the new alteration.
On the other hand, choosing the absorbable material is good for those who are in the beginning stages. Over a period, the body absorbs the stent while maintaining the required gap necessary for the blood to flow to the heart. However, it is essential that the patient takes good care of the health in such a situation. Apart from exercises, they will be making a drastic change to their lifestyle and food habits. Due to this, there will be less accumulation of cholesterol, which further helps in lessening the accumulation of particles on the blood vessels that are the primary reason for narrowing the passage through which the blood passes to the heart.
How Long Do Stents Last?
There is a possibility that a stent placed in an individual can last forever. However, given the fact that stent is a metal equipment, the real question lies in keeping the coronary artery opened. The reason about lasting the stent is dependent on the location because the placement of the stent causes scar tissue, which over a period develops the tendency to produce clots at the damaged portions of the arterial wall. To avoid such a situation, cardiologists often provide antiplatelet therapy for about six months and the use of blood thinning medication depending on the requirement.
Despite the successful placement of the stent and the use of expensive medicines, about 40 percent of the patients require an additional procedure. In comparison to bypass operation, using stent has the least favorable percentile and does not guarantee that there will not be any future heart attacks or prolong the lifespan.
Nonetheless, people suffering from coronary artery diseases will have to opt for the right method to ensure that the prolong the lifespan and lead a healthy life as long as they can. They can discuss the issue with the cardiologist depending on the results attained after carrying out the angiogram examination.
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