How serious is having a stent put in?

About 1% to 2% of people who have a stent may get a blood clot where the stent is placed. This can put you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Your risk of getting a blood clot is highest during the first few months after the procedure.

Is a stent major surgery?

Having a stent placed is a minimally invasive procedure, meaning it is not a major surgery. Stents for coronary arteries and carotid arteries are placed in similar ways. A stent graft is placed to treat an aneurysm in a procedure called aortic aneurysm repair.

Can you live a normal life with a stent?

It’s important to remember that you can live a full and active life with a coronary stent. You can find some general guidelines about returning to working, resuming your everyday activities and making some heart-healthy lifestyle changes below.

Why do you have a stent put in?

Stents are usually needed when plaque blocks a blood vessel. Plaque is made of cholesterol and other substances that attach to the walls of a vessel. You may need a stent during an emergency procedure. An emergency procedure is more common if an artery of the heart called a coronary artery is blocked.

Do and don’ts after stent?

Don’t lift heavy objects. Avoid strenuous exercise. Avoid sexual activity for a week. Wait at least a week before swimming or bathing.

How long do you stay in the hospital after a stent?

Recovery from angioplasty and stenting is typically brief. Discharge from the hospital is usually 12 to 24 hours after the catheter is removed. Many patients are able to return to work within a few days to a week after a procedure.

How long does stent surgery take?

How long does an angioplasty and stent insertion take? The procedure varies, but in most cases it takes between 30 and 60 minutes to complete.

What are the disadvantages of a stent?

Although major complications are uncommon, stenting carries all of the same risks as angioplasty alone for the treatment of coronary artery disease. The catheter insertion site could become infected or bleed heavily and will likely be bruised.

Will I feel better after a stent?

After receiving a stent, it is normal to feel tired or a bit weak for a few days, and it’s not uncommon to experience some pain or soreness at the catheter site. If you received a stent because of a heart attack, you will likely feel tired for several weeks, Patel says.

How often should stents be checked?

As recommended in the National Disease Management Guidelines (6), patients with coronary heart disease and those who have undergone stent implantation should be followed up regularly (every three to six months) by their primary care physicians, independently of any additional visits that may be necessitated by

Do stents last forever?

How long will a stent last? It is permanent. There is just a 2–3 per cent risk of narrowing coming back, and if that happens it is usually within 6–9 months. If it does, it can potentially be treated with another stent.

What are the signs of stent failure?

Symptoms will usually tell you if there’s a problem. If that happens, you usually have symptoms—like chest pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath. If you do have symptoms, a stress test can help your doctor see what’s going on. It can show if a blockage has returned or if there’s a new blockage.

What should I watch after stent placement?

Increased pain, redness, swelling, bleeding, or other drainage from the insertion site. Coolness, numbness or tingling, or other changes in the affected arm or leg. Chest pain or pressure, nausea or vomiting, profuse sweating, dizziness, or fainting.

What is better stent or bypass?

“For three-vessel coronary disease, bypass now has been shown to be superior to stenting, with the possible exception of some cases in which the narrowing in the artery is very short,” Cutlip says. “But by and large the debate is settled that bypass surgery is better.”

What are the warning signs of clogged arteries?

Symptoms

• Chest pain (angina). You may feel pressure or tightness in your chest, as if someone were standing on your chest.
• Shortness of breath. If your heart can’t pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs, you may develop shortness of breath or extreme fatigue with activity.
• Heart attack.