Heart Health Stent Implantation Coronary Surgery PreOp® Patient Education Feature

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Your doctor has recommended that you undergo a balloon angioplasty with a stent implant. But what does that actually mean?

The heart is located in the center of the chest. It's job is to keep blood continually circulating throughout the body.

The blood vessels that supply the body with oxygen-rich blood are called arteries.
The arteries that supplies blood to the heart muscle itself are called coronary arteries.
Sometimes, these blood vessels can narrow or become blocked by plaque deposits, restricting normal blood flow.

In simple terms, a balloon angioplasty with stent insertion is a procedure used to increase the amount of blood flowing through the coronary artery.

During a balloon angioplasty, a heart specialist will insert a thin tube into an artery in your arm or leg and gently guide it towards the problem area in your heart.

Once the tube is in place, a small balloon is briefly inflated in order to widen the narrowed artery.

A short length of mesh tubing called a stent is then inserted into the newly widened artery.
During and after the procedure, your doctor will take x-rays in order to monitor your progress.

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Then the doctor will make a small cut over the femoral artery in the upper part of the leg.
A special needle is then inserted into the artery itself.
Then a guide wire is carefully passed through the needle and gently pushed into the artery
and upwards towards your chest.
A narrow tube, called a catheter is threaded along the wire until it too has reached the coronary artery
Next, the doctor uses the catheter to inject a dye into the artery itself. The die shows up on a TV monitor and is used to pinpoint the exact location of the blocked area.
Once the restricted area has been identified, a thin wire is inserted into the catheter, and is guided all the way to the blocked area and then slightly beyond.
This wire acts as guide for the balloon catheter. It allows your doctor to position the deflated balloon precisely in the middle of the narrowest part of the coronary artery.
The balloon is briefly inflated. As it expands, it squeezes the plaque deposits against the wall of the artery. It also stretches the artery wall and enlarges the channel through which blood flows.
Your doctor will continue to inflate and deflate the balloon until normal blood flow has been restored.
The balloon catheter is then withdrawn and another balloon catheter is inserted. This balloon has the mesh stent tube wrapped around it.
Once this tube has been placed in the center of now widened area of the artery, the balloon is briefly inflated. The stent expands until it hugs the walls of the artery.
Finally, after a thorough investigation of the region, the catheters and guide wire are withdrawn and the stent remains permanently to provide support to the artery and to resist the buildup of plaque.
The dye that had been injected will break up and leave your body as waste.
Slight pressure is applied to the incision in your leg in order to prevent bleeding.


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Before you leave, you'll probably be prescribed a pain killer along with any other medication your doctor feels you need to take.

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Balloon angioplasty with a stent implant only rarely leads to complications.
Possible problems include infection or bleeding from the incision where the catheter was inserted. In a very few patients, the body can react negatively to the chemicals in the dye.
As with all heart procedures, there is some risk of injury to the heart or circulatory system - and even death.
A rare complication of a balloon angioplasty with a stent implant is a stroke.

But balloon angioplasty with a stent implant is one of the least invasive and least risky of all cardiac procedures.

Once you return home, you will be responsible to keeping the dressing intact and clean.

As with all surgery, you should be alert for signs of infection near the incision - increased swelling, redness, bleeding or other discharge. Your doctor may advise you to be on the alert for other symptoms as well. If you experience any unusual symptoms, report them to your doctor right away.

You may also notice some bruising in the general area of the incision. The discoloration may be extensive - but as with any bruise, it should heal on it's own.

Before you leave, you'll be given discharge guidelines which may include diet, medication, work and other activity restrictions.

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[gmarch999]

I am 48 and thought this would never happen to me. But I am having this done on Wed. Did they put you out when you did this??? I want to be out

[ezasad]

Just had this procedure done on me about 6 weeks ago after a heart attack at the age of 46. Had just finished my workout at the gym when it happend. Was very fortunate to have been taken to the emergency room in time or the outcome would have been different! The heart attack was caused by a blood clot in the Left Anterior Descending artery.

[knitfixation1]

My husband just had this done after a heart attack following snow-shoveling. We are extremely fortunate. This procedure saved his life.

[kateyh4138]

I had this procedure 4 years ago. after a massive heart attack at the age of 48. It was not as scarey as I thought it would be and I had no pain at all after it. The worst part was having to lie flat on my back for 4 hours after. I'm glad I had is as I'm still here to tell the tale

[marlakay226]

Very helpful illustration