stents

[Hilmi]

Stents are inserted and many I have met including me are concerned of various issues ,some of which are
a. How does it 'lock' it self in the artery.
b. How long does it take before it becomes stable within the artery. After it is locked, can the stent be displacedwithin the artery if there is an external 'jolt' on the chest area in the early days - say 10 days.
c. What precautions should one take and for how long , after the stent is inserted.
d.  Can one carry a heavy weight
e. How long after the stent can one start to drive.
Hilmi

[kenkeith]

A stent implant has very little risk, if any, to be displaced from an external force or bump.  However, a bump can be coincidental when the integrity of the stent has been compromised by overinflation of the balloon catheter used to expand the stents, resulting in injury to the arterial wall. This damage has been linked to restenosis, the most common failure mode of stenting.  The  risk of failure by collapse, which can occur immediately, or after years of delay.  When clinically indicated, percutaneous repair can be effectively performed (stent within a stent).

Subdsequent to my stent implant written instructions did not limit any activity associated with cath procedure.

[Hilmi]

I'am not saying that the stent can get dislodged.My question is whether  getting a bump in the chest area could be detrimental to the stent.

[kenkeith]

Thanks for the information Echo Tech and Hilmi.  This is the first I have heard of the problem!  I'll put that information into my memory bank, anyone who has had a stent implant and received a blow to the body can dislodge the stent and as a result that can cause stenosis or worse!, interesting.:)

[Hilmi]

Echotech is correct. Kenkeith,  a-e means what is a,b,c,d,e, what is in my first post.
In another situation , a person 'bumped'  hard into me ( in the chest area) by accident in office.
Given it is approx 10 -12 days after my stent will there be a problem to my stent.
I notice, different thoughts run through  the mind after the stent.mainly due to the lack of info on the subject.
Any ideas on the above as well..

[EchoTech]

I think he means can you answer the specific questions a,b,c,d,and e in the very first post on the top of the screen.

The little I know about stents is that once they are in there, they stay there (they are 'locked in' and only a surgeon could remove them with openheart surgery, but no surgeon ever would).  The easiest way to explain it is that they are spring-loaded, and will push out to contact the walls of the arteries.

[kenkeith]

I don't understand the reference.

[Hilmi]

Thanks for your response.I would also like to have your views to my questions from .  
a- e in my first mail.
Thanks

[kenkeith]

The 3-year patency rates after stent implantation ranged from 63% to 66%, regardless of the clinical indication or lesion type. The end point was the in-stent percentage of mean diameter stenosis within 6 months. The coated-stent arm demonstrated a greater in-stent mean diameter, with a 0% restenosis rate, as compared with the bare-stent arm, which had a 23.5% restenosis rate. Stress fractures within the stent struts occurred in several cases in the coated-stent arm.

Drug eluding stents (DES) have a greater risk for a clot than the bare metal, but DES has a better stat for restenosis, so dual therapy (plavix and aspirin) is recommended up to a year and then aspirin only.