Coronary Stenting: How Does it Work?
Added On : 26th December 2011
The "coronary stenting" procedure undergone by the Duke of Edinburgh is a treatment to unblock an artery which supplies the heart with blood.The technique, a type of procedure known as angioplasty, is used to treat coronary heart disease or angina where the blockage or narrowing of arteries prevents enough blood from reaching the heart and risks damaging the muscle.
A thin tube known as a catheter is passed into an artery in the patient's arm or their groin under local anaesthetic, and pushed through until it reaches the problematic section.
At this point, a tiny balloon at the tip of the catheter is inflated with air, clearing any blockage and returning the artery to the correct width to allow blood to flow freely again.
As the balloon inflates a small stainless steel mesh tube fitted around it, known as a stent, also widens until it reaches the same size.
After the stent is in place, the balloon is let down and the catheter is removed but the stent remains in place like a scaffold, holding the blood vessel open and preventing it from narrowing again.
In most cases the procedure improves blood flow through the artery, but in some cases the stent can become narrowed over time and limit the blood flow a condition known as restenosis.
The risks of the treatment grow with age as the arteries get thicker, and in 90-year-old patients like Prince Philip there is the risk the catheter may not be able to pass through the artery, or the balloon may not be able to force it open.
There is also a slight risk of patients having a heart attack or stroke, particularly if they are not in good health to begin with, and in about one in 1,000 cases the treatment totally blocks the artery resulting in urgent bypass surgery.
Following the procedure, patients are usually allowed to return home on the same or the following day, but those who have the procedure as an emergency usually stay for longer.
Doctors advise that patients avoid any strenuous activity for at least a week, and prescribe blood thinning drugs to lower the risk of clots forming around the stent.
