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Coronary Stents: What They Are and What They Do
Used to treat blockage in coronary arteries, the technology behind stents continues to evolve and improve.
March 16, 2023
“Around 2 million coronary stents are implanted each year in the U.S., in about 1 million procedures,” says Giora Weisz, MD, medical director of interventional cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Hudson Valley Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Coronary stents are implanted via Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), a minimally invasive procedure that treats blockages by opening up narrowed or blocked sections of an artery. | Credit: Getty
PCI, a minimally invasive procedure, treats blockage in coronary arteries by opening up narrowed or blocked sections of an artery, thereby increasing or restoring blood flow.
According to the American Heart Association, PCI uses balloon angioplasty, often followed by implantation of a stent to treat conditions where blood flow to the heart muscle has been reduced or cut off. The stent props open the artery, which decreases the chance of another blockage.
