What is the Difference Between a Stent and Angioplasty?

CAD i.e. Coronary Artery Disease has affected approximately 15 millions of American people leading to a common form of cardiac or heart problem. It often takes place from a severe health condition named as atherosclerosis. This takes place whenever the formation of a waxy substance takes place in the arteries of patients responsible for supplying of the blood to the heart. With the formation of plaque, artery narrows and creates many difficulties for the blood flow towards the heart.

When the blockage becomes worse, flow of blood towards the heart slows down causing angina problem, while with time, blocked or narrowed artery may result in a heart attack. In this case, cardiologists recommend for either of the two different treatments named angioplasty or stent categorized under percutaneous coronary intervention to reduce the risk related to heart attack and other related cardiac problems in their patients.

Stents or Stenting Method

Stents are small and expandable tubes inserted permanently in the artery of an individual at the time of angioplasty. In this case, a thin guide wire remains present within the catheter, which is responsible for movement of a balloon and the respective stent within the coronary artery. Later on, doctors place a balloon within the stent and allow it to inflate to open it and thereby, push it in opposition to the wall of the artery.

Finally, deflation and removal of the balloon takes place to leave the actual stent in its own place. Since a stent comes with a mesh like structure, cells lining present in the blood cell grow from and across it to help in securing it. Thus, stenting should definitely-

Open the artery and destroys the plaque in opposition to the various artery walls to bring improvements in the blood flow.
Keep artery in open condition even after doctors deflate and remove the balloon.
Seal tears present in the walls of an artery
Avoid frequent closing or collapsing of the artery walls (problem of restenosis)
Avoid breaking off small pieces referred as plaques, which may result in heart attack or any other cardiac problem.

Angioplasty Method

Angioplasty refers to a process, where doctors take the important steps for widening the various narrowed sections present in the coronary artery. This is a less invasive process and involves a relatively small recovery time. Main objective behind the angioplasty procedure is to boost the flow of blood towards the heart muscles but involves an open chest surgery.

Cardiologists perform the angioplasty procedure by the help of a soft and a thin tube referred as a catheter. For this, doctors insert the respective catheter within the blood vessel present in the wrist or in the groin. In both the cases, doctors guide the catheter carefully through the blood vessels until and unless it successfully reaches to the blocked or narrowed parts of one’s coronary artery.

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What is the Difference Between a Stent and Angioplasty?