Coronary Stents
Once the cardiac-catheterization team has used angioplasty to reopen a coronary artery, it will usually complete the procedure by placing tiny, precisely designed mesh tubes called stents across the treated area. These wire-mesh cylinders are meant to increase the likelihood that the coronary artery will remain open and not re-accumulate plague to narrow its opening again.
The specialists insert the closed tubes to the targeted area of the artery and then gently expand them. The stents remain in place to press out against the inner walls of the artery. Patients may receive a number of stents in contiguous areas, in different locations or branches of the same artery or in multiple arteries.
