what is stent made up off
Stent: This is a small tube that acts as a scaffold to support the inside your coronary artery. A balloon catheter, placed over a guide wire, puts the stent into your narrowed coronary artery. Once in place, the balloon is inflated, and the stent expands to the size of the artery and holds it open. The balloon is then deflated and removed while the stent stays in place. Over several weeks, your artery heals around the stent. These are often placed during angioplasty to help keep the coronary artery open. The stent is usually made of metal and is permanent. It can also be made of a material that the body absorbs over time. Some stents contain medicine and are designed to reduce the risk of the artery getting blocked again (your doctor may call that restenosis).