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	Related conditions   - Cardiac arrest   - Atrial fibrillation   - Cardiomyopathy   - Heart attack   - Congestive heart failure   - Heart murmur   - Pericarditis   - High blood pressure   - Angina   - Aneurysm, aortic   - Arrhythmias

Cardiac stents

Cardiac stents are implanted during procedures such as angioplasty to help keep open arteries that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood. Coronary angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure to open arteries that are blocked or narrowed by cholesterol and other fatty deposits.

During angioplasty, a thin flexible tube called a "catheter" is inserted into the clogged artery, usually through the groin/upper thigh artery, and threaded up to the heart. After the clogged artery is cleared, a stent may be permanently implanted. A stent is a scaffold-like tube made of wire mesh that adheres to the walls of the artery to keep it propped open allowing blood to flow freely. Stenting helps reduce the risk of restenosis or "re-narrowing" of the artery. 

Coated stents are an improvement over traditional bare stents because they are treated with a substance that makes it difficult for scar tissue or cholesterol to collect at the stent site. A coated stent may be covered with a common blood thinner called heparin, an antibiotic, or drugs that suppress the immune system, which plays a key role in the build-up of cholesterol and fatty plaque in the arteries. The stent comes pre-coated with the material and is delivered in the same manner as a traditional stent.

Re-narrowing of arteries treated with angioplasty is still an issue, but it is hoped that coated stents will further reduce such risks. Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center is conducting clinical research related to coronary artery stents.

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