Are you awake during a stent procedure?

General anesthesia isn't needed. You'll receive a sedative to help you relax, but you may be awake during the procedure depending on how deeply you are sedated. You'll receive fluids, medications to relax you and blood-thinning medications (anticoagulants) through an IV catheter in your hand or arm.

Do they put you to sleep to put a stent in?

Preparing for the stenting procedure

You will be asleep for most stent procedures, so plan to have someone else take you home. You may go home the same day or after a few days, depending on the type of stent and your other medical conditions.

How serious is having a stent put in?

A stent can cause blood clotting, which may increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute state that about 1 to 2 percent of people who have stented arteries develop a blood clot at the site of the stent. Doctors will usually prescribe one or more drugs to prevent clotting.

How long do you stay in the hospital after having a stent put in?

What should you expect? The procedure may take place right after the arteriogram, which is used to find the blockage, or it may occur the next day. You may need to stay in the hospital two or three days.

How long does a stent operation take?

The stent pushes against your artery walls, squashing fatty deposits against the artery wall so that blood can flow through it more freely. The procedure usually takes around 30 minutes, but it can take longer depending on how many sections of your artery need treatment.

Animation - Coronary stent placement

How painful is stent surgery?

If it was placed because of severe pain from a stone, stent discomfort is usually significantly less. Most patients will experience some discomfort which may include pain in the back, flank and pelvis, urinary urgency and frequency, and intermittent blood in the urine.

How long are you in an ICU after a stent?

Usually, patients stay overnight and return home the day after the procedure. Some may even go home the same day.

Can you go home the same day after a stent?

After having a planned (non-emergency) coronary angioplasty, you'll usually be able to leave hospital the same day or following day. Arrange for someone to take you home. Before you leave hospital, you should be given advice on: any medication you need to take.

How long after stent can you walk?

For the first five days, do only light activities.

Walking, climbing stairs and taking care of routine activities are usually fine. After five days, your doctor will likely say you can resume moderate activities, but you should avoid over-exertion that leads to shortness of breath, tiredness or chest pain.

Do you go to ICU after a stent?

Just after the procedure

Once your blood pressure, pulse, and breathing are stable and you are alert, you may be taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) or a regular hospital room. If the sheath was left in the insertion site, it will be removed from the groin or arm at the appropriate time.

How much blockage requires a stent?

By clinical guidelines, an artery should be clogged at least 70 percent before a stent should be placed, Resar said.

Is a stent major surgery?

Stenting is a minimally invasive procedure, meaning it is not considered major surgery. Stents can be made of metal mesh, fabric, silicone, or combinations of materials. Stents used for coronary arteries are made of metal mesh. Fabric stents, also called stent grafts, are used in larger arteries such as the aorta.

How long are you down after heart stent?

It generally takes most people a couple of weeks to start returning to their normal activities after angioplasty/stenting. Before you leave hospital, you'll be given detailed instructions for exercise, medications, follow-up appointments, ongoing wound care and resuming normal activities.

How does it feel to get a stent?

Will I feel the stent? No. You will not feel the stent inside of you. (Though you will probably feel better after it has been implanted and blood flow in your coronary artery has been restored.)

Do and don'ts after stent?

Walking short distances on a flat surface is OK. Limit going up and down stairs to around 2 times a day for the first 2 to 3 days. Don't do yard work, drive, squat, carry heavy objects, or play sports for at least 2 days, or until your health care provider tells you it is safe.

What foods to avoid after stents?

Saturated and trans fats should be enjoyed in moderation only — these include butter, cream, cheese and fatty red meat, as well as fried foods. Refined and processed grains like white bread contain very little nutritional value, while foods and drinks that contain added sugar should be avoided as much as possible.

What not to do after stent surgery?

Avoid strenuous exercise and lifting heavy objects for at least a day afterward. Ask your doctor or nurse about other restrictions in activity. Call your doctor's office or hospital staff immediately if: The site where your catheter was inserted starts bleeding or swelling.

Can you drive after a stent?

You shouldn't drive for at least a week after having an angioplasty and stent - longer if you also had a heart attack. Check with your doctor to see how soon you can drive after having a heart attack and stent. You may need to wait up to four weeks.

Can you live a normal life after a heart stent?

One can go back to their normal routine within 2 to 3 days after undergoing the procedure, depending on the doctors' recommendations. However, patients who undergo this procedure must ensure they follow the above-mentioned lifestyle changes to lead a long and healthy life after stent placement.

What to expect after having a stent put in?

Possible risks of the stenting procedure

Bleeding or discomfort where the catheter was inserted. Damage to blood vessels from the catheter. Infection. Rarely, damage to kidneys from contrast dye.

Can an artery be unblocked without a stent?

A landmark study has finally gotten to the heart of an age-old debate in the cardiology community: for patients with stable coronary artery disease, medication is just as effective as bypass or stenting to reduce heart attack, stroke and death risk.

Can you stent an artery that is 100% blocked?

Coronary arteries with severe blockages, up to 99%, can often be treated with traditional stenting procedure. Once an artery becomes 100% blocked, it is considered a coronary chronic total occlusion, or CTO. Specialized equipment, techniques and physician training are required to open the artery with a stent.

What is the most serious coronary artery to have a blockage in?

A heart attack is particularly dangerous when it's caused by blockage in the left anterior descending artery, which supplies blood to the larger, front part of the heart, earning it this scary-sounding nickname.

What are the signs of minor heart blockage?

Minor symptoms of heart blockage include irregular or skipped heartbeats, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Other symptoms may include pain or numbness in the legs or arms, as well as neck or throat pain.