Understanding Coronary Stents
Your doctor has probably told you that you have coronary artery disease. This means that blood vessels that feed yom heart are narrowed or blocked. Coronary artery disease can cause angina (pressure, tightness, or pain in your chest, arm, neck, or jaw). Coronary artery disease can also lead to a heart attack or even death. To help treat this heart problem, your doctor may want you to consider a coronary stent implant.

What Is a Stent?
A stent is a small metal coil or mesh tube that is placed in a narrowed artery through a catheter (a long, thin tube) to help improve blood flow to your heart. The stent permanently holds the passageway open and helps reduce the rate of restenosis, renarrowing of the artery. After the stent placement, you may need to stay in the hospital for one or two days. You will have to take antiplatelet medication for a while to help prevent blood clots.

Making HeartHealthy Changes
A stent can help in the treatment of coronary artery disease. But it is not a cure. You need to change any unhealthy habits (also called risk factors) that helped create your heart problems in the first place. Some risk factors are smoking, eating too much fat and salt, and not getting enough exercise. Making changes to reduce risk factors can help keep your heart condition from getting worse and may even improve the health of your heart.