Stents are tiny mesh tubes that are implanted into a blood vessel.
They are used in patients whose vessels renarrow or restenose because of coronary artery disease and serve to keep the vessel open after being constricted or narrowed by the buildup of fat, cholesterol or other substances. The new Penta stent is specifically engineered with stronger wire and enhanced conformity and is being investigated as a way to prevent restenosis. According to the American Heart Association, about one third of patients who undergo balloon angioplasty have restenosis within six months of the procedure and have to undergo another angioplasty.