Are Stents Effective in Heart Disease?
2. Are stents effective in heart disease long term? 3. Are stents more effective in heart disease than other treatments? What a Stent Is A stent is a tiny tube made of wire metal mesh. This tube is inserted into a partially blocked artery to prop it open and allow blood to flow more freely. How a Stent Is Inserted Surgery is not needed to insert a stent for heart disease. A stent is usually placed during angioplasty. In angioplasty without a stent, a small balloon at the tip of a catheter is inserted into an artery (usually in the groin) and inflated to force open a blocked area inside the artery. If the physician believes the balloon is insufficient, and a stent is needed, the stent is collapsed to a small diameter and put over the balloon catheter. The doctor then moves the stent and balloon up the artery to the blocked section. The balloon is inflated, and as it inflates, it makes the stent expand. The expanded stent is locked in place, and forms a supportive framework that holds th
