Using quality stents is of utmost importance: Experts

Stents are a powerful tool in the fight against heart disease and specialists have emphasised on the need of using quality stents for best patient outcomes.

Stents are small wire mesh tubes which are inserted to open a blocked artery and restore the blood flow. In case of a heart attack, swift treatment with angioplasty and stenting can restore oxygen supply to the heart muscle and lessen impairment.

With advances in terms of changing the design, delivery and procedure approaches, the introduction of newer generation stents is taking place at regular intervals.

Continuous advancements in cardiology are leading to improved results and reduced associated risks. Dr.Praveer Agarwal, Director, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi says "The increasing incidence of heart ailments have led to innovations which are bringing more accuracy in the existing treatment modalities. Specifically in the case of stents, continuous evolution is taking place wherein the newer generation stents have shown to have a positive patient impact."

Adding, "Today, Drug-Eluting Stents (DES- medicine coated stents) are the most preferred by cardiologists since it slowly and continuously releases the drug into the artery thereby reducing the chances of re-blockage post procedure and repeat narrowing of the artery."

Thus, there are different types of stents and the choice of stent depends upon the health condition of individual patients.

However, it is important to choose a quality stent which has proven safety, backing by ample clinical data and long term results from trials/studies. A stent once implanted remains in the heat forever and cannot be removed. It is, thus, vital for patients to enquire about stents which have the lowest clotting rate and choose a stent which has the lowest complication rate post procedure.

Commenting on the same, Dr.Viveka Kumar, Director - Cath Lab, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket said, "Today, patients are more aware and actively involved in their treatment discussions with their doctors to ensure best long term outcomes. In case of stenting, they are keen to understand the post procedure impact and the type of stent being used."

Adding, "They also want to ensure that the stent being used for them is the best quality stent and is recognized by a credible authority like US FDA which is an evidence of the safety and the efficacy of the stent. While deciding the type of stent to be placed, it is very important to consider if it is backed by sufficient clinical data. Only when the validation is significant, the positive patient outcome is more certain."

The decision to stent depends on the number of arteries blocked. However, in whichever cases stent placement has been found necessary, it has led to improved results.

Since the device can affect the patient's heart and overall health in a big way, it becomes imperative to choose a stent which is of the highest quality standard.