Definition: A stent is a tiny, collapsible metal mesh tube that is used to hold open an artery after angioplasty surgery. After angioplasty has been performed to compress a plaque, the collapsed stent is inserted by catheter, and is expanded and locked into place to give additional structural support to the wall of the artery.
Stents have been shown to reduce the risk of restenosis after angioplasty, but stents themselves can become blocked. Some stents are coated with drugs that help to prevent the cell growth that can increase the risk of restenosis. These are called drug-eluting stents, or DES. DES, however, can introduce their own special problems.
