Stent Placement Specialist

What is a stent placement?

Stent placement is a surgical procedure in which an expandable metal mesh tube is placed in your artery to hold the artery open and improve blood flow. Stents can be placed in the arteries in your heart, as well as the peripheral arteries in your legs. 

Stents are like a scaffold that’s inserted into your artery at the location of the blockage. The framework supports the artery walls, keeping them open and reducing the chances of a recurrent blockage or narrowing of the artery. 

Why would I need a stent placement?

Your specialist at Premier Cardiology Consultants can explain to you why you would benefit from the placement of a stent. You may benefit from stent placement if you have coronary artery disease that hasn’t improved with less invasive methods or the blockage in your artery is severe. 

Stent placement may also be recommended if you have peripheral artery disease that’s affecting the circulation in your legs and causing leg pain, referred to as claudication. 

What can I expect during stent placement?

Your stent placement begins with an injection of a local anesthetic to numb the area of your stent placement. 

Then your vascular surgeon threads a thin wire into the blocked artery, usually through a needle inserted into the blood vessel in your groin. 

Your surgeon injects a small amount of contrast into your blood vessel to help improve tracking of the catheter as it moves its way through your artery.

Once at the site of your blockage, your surgeon inflates a balloon that pushes the plaque up against your artery wall and the stent expands to keep the wall open. The balloon is then deflated and the catheter is removed. 

What happens after stent placement?

After stent placement you’re required to rest in bed for up to 24 hours, lying completely flat for the first few hours after your procedure. You need to stay overnight at the hospital following your stent placement. 

You should be able to resume most of your usual activities within a day or two after your procedure, but the team advises against strenuous activity for at least a few weeks. Your specialist also prescribes medication to reduce your risk of forming a blood clot near your stent.

To learn more about stent placement and whether it’s a procedure that would benefit your health, call Premier Cardiology Consultants today or request an appointment online.