Coronary stent placement opens clogged arteries to improve symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath. At Formé Medical Center and Urgent Care in White Plains, New York, expert physicians perform the surgery to improve the health of your cardiovascular system. To schedule an appointment, call Formé Medical Center and Urgent Care or book online today.
A stent is a small, cylindrical mesh tube that widens a blood vessel that has become narrow due to atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup. A coronary stent is a stent specifically used for the heart.
Coronary stent placement is the procedure to place the stent within the heart. The initial phase of the procedure is called angioplasty, which involves a catheter with a balloon on the tip. As the balloon inflates within the artery, it expands the vessel so blood can flow through freely.
Once the stent is in place, your tissues grow around it over 3-12 months. An antiplatelet medication, which you may need to take for some time after your coronary stent placement, prevents blood clots from developing on the metal wire mesh of the stent.
You can get coronary stent placement in the event of an emergency, or it can be an elective procedure to prevent possible complications from heart disease. A coronary stent isn’t the best approach for treatment in every case, but it may be an option if you:
Coronary artery bypass surgery is another treatment option that your provider might recommend instead if they feel that you won’t benefit from a coronary stent placement. That involves transferring a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body to replace the clogged vessel in the heart.
Preparing for coronary stent placement starts with your consultation at Formé Medical Center and Urgent Care. Your provider performs a physical examination and reviews your medical history, including an up-to-date list of the medications you take.
Your provider gives you instructions to follow as you approach the date of the operation. These may include:
If you have any questions at all about your upcoming procedure, the expert providers at Formé Medical Center and Urgent Care can answer them for you in detail.
To learn more about coronary stent placement and the benefits of the procedure, call Formé Medical Center and Urgent Care for an appointment or book online today.