Stenting of heart vessels: what is it
Diseases of the cardiovascular system have been the leading cause of death for many decades. Medical science is constantly improving methods of combating these diseases. One of these methods is heart stenting, after which people return to a full life, even after a heart attack.
When stenting may be needed
There are several pathological conditions in which this intervention significantly improves the quality and length of life, and sometimes simply saves. Here are these diseases:
- stable angina;
- painless myocardial ischemia;
- acute coronary syndrome with ST segment elevation or without elevation.
All these are forms of ischemic heart disease, which occurs due to partial or complete blockage of the lumen of the arteries that feed the heart muscle. The most common cause of such blockage is atherosclerosis.
Operation progress
The essence of this intervention is that a special device — a stent — is inserted into the narrowed artery. Cardiac stenting operation is endovascular. In the period of preparation for it, the patient must pass tests, make an ECG and X-ray of the lungs. Stages of the operation:
- perform local anesthesia of the inguinal region (instrument insertion site);
- a special catheter is inserted into the lumen of the femoral artery, which will be used for manipulation;
- a radiopaque substance is injected into the catheter, which is gradually passed along the aorta in the direction of the heart. In this way, the specialist will be able to see the condition of the arteries and the location of the catheter on the screen of the X-ray machine;
- having reached the heart, the doctor injects contrast into the coronary vessels and determines exactly where the narrowing is;
- a stent is placed in the narrowed area, which is expanded by inflating the balloon inside it.
Complications during and after surgery
Any operation, even the most gentle, is associated with a certain risk of complications. Stenting is no exception. Possible complications:
- heart attack or stroke due to the detachment of an atherosclerotic plaque;
- atheroembolic syndrome (clogging of other vessels with the same plaque);
- hematoma at the site of catheter insertion;
- perforation of the coronary artery or its dissection;
- stent thrombosis;
- bleeding or hematoma in the thigh area;
- allergy to contrast material;
- disruption of kidney function.
The risk of complications is extremely small and continues to decrease with the improvement of the technique. Despite the presence of complications, after stenting, the life expectancy of patients increases significantly, provided they are constantly monitored by a cardiologist and take the appropriate drugs.
Postoperative period and rehabilitation after stenting of heart vessels
Immediately after the operation, the patient is transferred to the intensive care unit, where he is connected to a cardiac monitor. It is constantly monitored - this is necessary in order to immediately recognize the development of complications - myocardial ischemia and arrhythmias. Blood pressure is also constantly monitored - its progressive decrease allows you to quickly detect the beginning of internal bleeding.
The patient is usually discharged on the 3-4th day after the operation. In some cases, with a low risk of complications, the operated patient can be discharged even after a day, however, for this, the patient must be thoroughly examined before leaving the hospital.
In the early postoperative period, the only thing that is not recommended to the patient is increased physical activity. He can return to work immediately after discharge, however, several factors play a role here:
- what kind of work the patient is engaged in - mental or physical;
- how completely the surgeon's goal of restoring blood flow was achieved;
- how strong are the residual effects of angina pectoris;
- what are the results of exercise tests (does dosed physical activity not provoke the development of angina attacks).
Modern methods of treatment of myocardial infarctions and pre-infarction states allow to reduce the risk of severe course of these diseases. Life expectancy after stenting of heart vessels and in the absence of complications is practically the same as in healthy people. However, the website Dobrobut.com reminds that success will depend not only on the success of the operation, but also on the regularity of taking prescribed antithrombotic drugs and follow-up by a cardiologist. Do not ignore the instructions of your doctor, and then the risk of repeated narrowing of the arteries will be minimal.
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