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Cardiac Catheterization
Coronary Stents

A coronary stent is a small, latticed, high grade stainless steel tube which is used to hold the coronary artery open and minimize the chance of abrupt closure after angioplasty. It is placed in the coronary artery using the same procedure as the angioplasty. The stent is typically mounted on a balloon angioplasty catheter.

a stent clearing a blocked artery

It is positioned at the narrowed area of the artery. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands and is pressed against the vessel wall. The balloon is deflated and withdrawn, leaving the stent permanently in place.

After a stent is placed, you will be prescribed an antiplatelet medication, Clopidogrel, also known as Plavix, for one month. This is used to minimize the risk of clot formation in the stent while tissue grows around the stent to incorporate in into the blood vessel wall. Within one month's time, the body no longer "sees" the stent, and the medication is no longer needed. You should continue to take Aspirin, if it has been prescribed, along with the Clopidogrel.

After Your Catheterization...

Text provided by Andrew Michaels, M.D., Tony Chou, M.D., and Laura Kee, R.N., Ph.D.,
Division of Cardiology, University of California San Francisco
Medical Illustration/Animation by http://www.meristemstudios.com/
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