Stent Implantation
A stent is a small mesh tube left inside a coronary artery once a balloon has widened it. Without one the artery often narrows again within months. It is placed through a catheter from the wrist or groin, you stay awake throughout, and most people go home the next day.
- No surgical incision
- Awake, under local anaesthetic
- Usually home within 24 to 48 hours
- Radial access from the wrist where suitable
Stay
1 to 2 days
Duration
About 45 to 90 minutes
Anaesthesia
Local, with light sedation
About Stent Implantation
A stent holds open an artery that has just been widened by balloon angioplasty. Almost all stents used today are drug-eluting, meaning they release medication slowly into the artery wall to stop scar tissue narrowing it again. The stent itself is permanent and becomes covered by the artery's own lining within a few months, which is why the first weeks on blood thinners matter so much.
- Drug-eluting stents in almost all cases
- Placed through the same catheter as the angioplasty
- Permanent, and becomes part of the artery wall
- Blood thinners are essential for the first months
Before you read on
Everything here is general information about stent implantation. Whether it suits you, and how it would be done in your case, is a decision for your doctor after examining you.
Your consultant's instructions always take precedence over anything written on this page.
When is it recommended?
Situations in which a doctor may suggest stent implantation.
- Coronary narrowing found on an angiogram that is causing symptoms
- Heart attack requiring the artery to be reopened
- Angina that has not settled on medication
- An artery that has narrowed again after a previous treatment
Procedure details
The usual sequence, from first consultation through to follow-up.
Angiogram first
Dye is injected through a catheter so the blockage can be seen and measured. The decision to stent is made from that picture.
Widening the artery
A balloon is passed to the narrowed segment and inflated briefly to open it. You may feel chest pressure for a few seconds.
Placing the stent
The stent is carried on a balloon, expanded into position against the artery wall, and the balloon withdrawn leaving it in place.
Recovery and discharge
You are monitored for several hours, the access site is checked, and you go home once it is stable with your medication explained.
How to prepare
What to sort out before you come in.
- Blood tests and an ECG are done before the procedure
- You will be asked not to eat for a few hours beforehand
- Tell the team about kidney problems, diabetes medication or any allergy to contrast dye
- Bring a full list of your current medication
- Arrange for somebody to take you home
Recovery
What to expect afterwards, and roughly when.
- Most people go home the day after a planned stent
- Keep the wrist or groin site dry and watch for swelling or bleeding
- Avoid heavy lifting and driving for about a week
- Blood thinners must be taken exactly as prescribed and never stopped without asking
- A follow-up appointment is arranged before discharge
Why choose Humayun for stent implantation
What decides the outcome is the lab being ready and the follow-up being real.
- A cath lab kept ready rather than opened up, so an emergency stent starts without waiting for a team to gather
- Radial access from the wrist as the default where suitable, which means less bleeding and walking sooner
- Coronary care beds on the same floor, so recovery is not a journey
- Structured follow-up on blood thinners, which is the part patients most often stop too early
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