To expand coronary arteries blocked by atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup, a cardiologist delivers a stent to the blockage during a procedure called an angioplasty, which uses a tiny balloon to widen the vessel. A stent looks like a collapsed scaffold that opens up once it is inside the artery and it is left in place permanently.
Some stents are coated with drugs that further prevent the blood vessels from re-closing, which are called drug-eluting stents.
If stenting is successful, then a heart attack may be avoided or the need for heart bypass surgery may be prevented.
Sources:
LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company, provides original and syndicated online lifestyle content. Nancy Larson is a St. Louis-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in dozens of local and national print and online publications including CNN.com, The Weather Channel, Health magazine and The Advocate.
