My mother had a heart attack a few months ago. The doctors inserted a non-coated stent into her heart and she was doing fine. A week ago she was having some shoulder pain, so she went to get it checked out. They cleared her but the pain did not go away. Yesterday she went in to get another test done and the stent had actually clogged again. Since it was only a few months old (and her heart conditions are genetic, not lifestyle related) they had ruled that the stent was clogged because her body was attacking the foreign object (the stent) in her body. They replaced the stent with a "coated" stent. I am concerned that this stent will be clogged as well. What are the chances this will happen?
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment1 Comments
Hello John,
Drug-eluting stents have a polymer coating over mesh that emits a drug over time to help keep the blockage from recurring.
Generally, this type of stent is preferred over bare metal stents for most people. Stents are small mesh tubes inserted to keep arteries open after a procedure called angioplasty. they more likely to keep the blockage from recurring than are bare-metal stents, but studies show the latest drug-eluting stents to be at least as safe as bare-metal stents.
I hope this information is helpful. Well wishes to your mother.
Regards,
July 22, 2014 - 5:53pmMaryann
This Comment