One study looked at more than 9,000 procedures done to people with heart disease in Canada over a three-year period. The other study compared the use of a stent along with another procedure called balloon angioplasty in people who were having heart attacks with the use of balloon angioplasty alone. In balloon angioplasty, a balloon is inflated to open a blocked blood vessel in the heart. This study also found that after about six months, those who received the stents had less need for additional procedures. Jacobs says the reduction in complications associated with stenting makes the procedure worthwhile for the patient.
Coronary stents are mesh tubes that help keep blocked arteries open.
In certain heart disease patients, use of a coronary stent reduces the need for additional procedures and decreases the incidence of chest pain, strokes, and heart attacks. Studies have not yet been able to show that patients with stents live longer, probably because these patients are healthier to begin with and have not been studied long enough. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.