How often do the arteries become blocked again following angioplasty or stent placement?
An on-going problem with using balloon angioplasty alone is that approximately one-third of the time, the blockage returns—usually within 6 months. This is called re-stenosis. It is not the progression of coronary artery disease but the body’s immune system response to the balloon angioplasty procedure itself. The use of stents can lower the rate of re-blockage further to less than 20-30% nationally. At Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute, the cardiologists use stents in addition to balloon angioplasty the majority of time. The re-stenosis rate is 12% at 6 months. Hoag was the first hospital in Orange County to offer Intra-Coronary brachytherapy as a treatment option for re-stenosis. Talk with your physician about his or her recommendations. * American College of Cardiology website, regarding clinical statements/angioplasty. HIRSHFELD ET AL., CORONARY INTERVENTIONAL PROCEDURES JACC Vol. 31, No. 3, March 1, 1998:722-43.
Related Questions
- At what percentage level of narrowing should an angioplasty be done and can it be done in 100% blocked arteries?
- Does anyone have any alternatives to clearing blocked arteries other than angioplasty,stents or lazerplasty?
- How often do the arteries become blocked again following angioplasty or stent placement?
