Compromised blood flow to your heart puts you at risk for a heart attack, but a coronary stent helps keep the blood flowing. At Cardiac PET Partners, cardiac imaging specialists use PET scans and other testing methods to evaluate the health of your heart, find out if you need a stent, or make sure a stent is functioning. Learn more about coronary stents and their benefits by calling Cardiac PET Partners or booking online today.
A coronary stent is a tiny wire mesh tube that fits into a coronary artery. A surgeon places the stent during a surgery called angioplasty, which opens clogged arteries. The stent plays the role of holding the artery open so blood can flow through it. It helps prevent the artery from narrowing to a dangerous degree in the future.
Your stent stays in place indefinitely after the surgery. It’s designed to last a lifetime, but you might need to visit Cardiac PET Partners for testing even after you get the stent to continue evaluating your heart function with it.
A stent doesn’t just treat atherosclerosis: It can treat or prevent a range of heart issues and complications. It can also help alleviate troubling symptoms indicating a heart problem, such as shortness of breath, angina, and fatigue.
There are several reasons why you might benefit from getting a coronary stent, as the stent can both treat certain heart conditions and prevent complications from them. A heart specialist will likely recommend stenting if your condition involves compromised or blocked blood flow in your heart’s arteries.
Your provider might recommend a stent if:
Sometimes, a stent isn’t the best option for treatment. Your providers collaborate to determine if you should get angioplasty with a stent or opt for another treatment, like coronary artery bypass surgery.
Coronary angioplasty is the name of the surgery that places coronary stents. The surgery is minimally invasive, meaning it isn’t an open-heart surgery and therefore has fewer risks.
Your surgeon places the stent through an artery that travels to another area, like your groin or wrist. Your surgeon feeds a catheter through the artery and to your heart, using an X-ray to guide it. They run contrast dye through the catheter so they can better see your heart.
They widen the artery with a small balloon on the end of the catheter before placing the stent to hold it open.
Find out more about coronary stents and determine if you need one by calling Cardiac PET Partners or booking an appointment online today.