A small mesh tube inserted in the artery for the treatment of narrowed or weakened blood
vessels called a stent is an affordable medical procedure. The procedure used for placing the
stent in the arteries is called angioplasty. With the help of this less painful procedure, the stent
is smoothly pushed along the guided thread, through the artery to the area where blockage
or plaque exists. Once the stent is in its place, the doctor inflates the balloon at the end of the
cathedra or guided string to push the blockage or plaque away for making the passage wide
for the blood to flow smoothly through the artery. The stent sets and fits in the place and the
artery remains open permanently to prevent the plaque from forming and block the artery
again. Angioplasty and stent advised to the patients with weak arteries helps in preventing the
vessel from bursting.

Many types of stents are there such as metal, fabric and medicine coated stents. They are
used for opening the blockage in the coronary, carotid, aorta and other arteries. With a small
procedure the doctors makes a small incision in the upper thigh portion of your leg, neck or
arm and places the stent with help of a catheter or guided thread. A balloon attached to the
catheter end helps in placing the mesh tube or stent.

After the stent procedure the patient normally has to stay overnight in the hospital for the
monitoring of any abnormal drainage from the site or any other distressing condition. The
procedure involves discomfort and slight pain in the chest along with nausea when the stent is
being placed or pushed along the arteries. Afterwards, the patient is advised medicines and rest
for at least twelve hours to avoid any bleeding from the incision site.

Stent placement procedure in the artery for unblocking plaque takes around an hour to
complete. The patient is given some medicine to relax and local anesthesia to numb the incision
site. The patient remains awake or conscious during the procedure until it finishes. For aortic
Aneurysms the stent procedures takes around a couple of hours and usually the patient is given
medicine to go to sleep. In this procedure, the patient remains under observation for two to
three days in the hospital.

The recovery period is fast and the patient remains healthy with unblocked arteries for a long
time. However, the patient should maintain follow-up routine and take medicine to avoid clots
forming in the blood vessels again.

Article Source : Stent for heart