Conditions & Services / Stent

A stent is a medical device that reinforces the walls of your blood vessel to maintain blood flow. HeartPlace is a full-service cardiovascular practice with 30 North Texas locations that provides stent placement in the arteries and veins. To find out more about stents and how they might benefit your circulation problem, schedule an appointment at HeartPlace by calling the office nearest you or booking an appointment online today. 

What is a stent?

A stent is a hollow mesh tube that supports blood vessels, keeping them open for proper blood circulation. 

The cardiology experts at HeartPlace use coronary and venous stents.

Coronary stent

A coronary stent is a tube-shaped device placed in your coronary arteries, the arteries that supply blood to your heart. 

Venous stent

A venous stent is a small tubular metal scaffold that your provider inserts into peripheral blood vessels. These narrow blood vessels circulate blood to your organs and extremities. 

Your provider places coronary stents or venous stents following a balloon angioplasty, which is when they inflate a balloon in your blood vessel to widen it and improve blood flow. The stent reinforces the blood vessel to maintain this flow. 

Some stents also contain medication that prevents the formation of blood clots.

Who needs a stent?

You may need a stent if you have a circulation problem in your blood vessels. HeartPlace providers most often place stents in those with coronary artery disease (CAD) or peripheral artery disease (PAD). 

With CAD and PAD, you have a narrowing in the blood vessels because of the build-up of plaque (a mixture of cholesterol, minerals, and other substances) along the blood vessel walls. 

These conditions affect circulation and increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. Angioplasty and stent placement may improve blood flow and lower your risk of developing these more serious health complications. 

HeartPlace may also place a venous stent in a blocked or narrowed vein. However, the vascular experts usually only set stents in the more prominent iliac or femoral veins to prevent collapsing of the nearby arteries.

What happens during stent placement?

The specifics of your stent placement depend on why you need the medical device. Your provider at HeartPlace reviews the details of the procedure, so you know how to prepare and what to expect after.

Stent placement is a minimally invasive procedure using a catheter. Your vascular surgeons  insert the catheter in a blood vessel, thread to the area requiring the device, and place the stent.

Your provider performs the procedure at a cardiac catheterization lab using local and intravenous (IV) sedation. 

What happens after stent placement?

After stent placement, your HeartPlace specialist sends you to the recovery room for monitoring. Depending on your medical history and recovery progress, your provider may send you home or admit you to the hospital for continued care.

A stent is a medical device that supports blood circulation. To learn more about stents and the procedure for placement, call HeartPlace or schedule a consultation online today.