First performed in the mid-1980s, and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994, stenting is a catheter-based procedure in which a small, expandable wire mesh tube (stent) is inserted into a diseased artery, serving as a scaffold to hold it open. Currently, stenting is performed most often in conjunction with other catheter-based procedures, such as balloon angioplasty or rotational atherectomy. The other procedures are used to partially reduce the narrowing caused by atherosclerosis, and the stent typically allows for an excellent final result to be obtained with little to no narrowing remaining within the coronary arteries. By doing a stent insertion along with these other procedures, the risk of the artery re-narrowing (restenosis) is reduced, and the risk of abrupt vessel closures during or within 24 hours of the procedure is nearly eliminated.

Within one month, the stent becomes covered with a thin layer of the artery’s inner lining cells. It will not be affected by a metal detector or most mechanical equipment. The success of a stenting procedure can be threatened by risk factors such as smoking or high cholesterol levels, which unchecked could lead to new blockages in the coronary arteries. Therefore, people receiving stents are strongly encouraged to learn and practice healthy lifestyle behaviors for good heart health.

Read about the new FDA-approved, Drug-Eluting Stent