UKC

Any doctors in the house?

My 83 year old dad has had two stens fitted today. Hospital advises all went well and he's OK.

Is this a minor operation? How concerned should I be?

In reply to Flinticus:

I'm not a doctor but I know someone who required stents fitted recently and I believe it is a relatively minor procedure these days. I believe they go in through the wrist artery and is a kind of endoscopic procedure. I'm sure the reason why your dad actually needed them is of far more concern, but obviously there is always going to be some kind of risk involved in any medical procedure.

All the best for your dad.

In reply to Hugh J:

Thanks.

Not sure why yet. He gets regular check ups and there was nothing to show concern, e.g. blood pressure, cholesterol all acceptable.

In reply to Flinticus:

I'm sure you dad will be fine. I know folk who have had stents fitted and they go about their normal lives afterwards. Not so long ago it would have been by-pass surgery at a guess or no treatment at all if the patient couldn't have the op.

One of the great advances in modern medicine.

So look after him and encourage him and he'll be back to normal in no time.

In reply to Flinticus:
What bonebag said.

A funny fact about stents, is the thing which causes them to fail most often is people encouraging others to poke them in an 'Hey look at my stent...' kind of way.

It has to be factored into designing them.

If you as a family find out what he needs to do/how to look after him while recovering, your dad should be fine.

In reply to Flinticus:

Stent of what is the most important question?

In reply to Flinticus:

My Dad survived a stent op by about 20 years. Don't worry

In reply to Flinticus:
There's very little useful information I think anyone will be able to give you, especially without knowing what was stented (you can essentially stent any part of the body that's a tube, and you have a lot of tubes in you).

Best bet is to get some more info from the team looking after him. If he's still in hospital I'm sure the doctors or nurses on the ward would be happy to talk you through things in person or on the phone (assuming your dad is fine with that of course), and that might be the best port of call. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

In reply to Flinticus:

I guess you mean a cardiac stent for angina or a small heart attack . If he looks after himself and takes the drugs he will have been given post procedure he stands a good chance of living a good quality life . Hope all goes well.

In reply to Allovesclimbin:

This seems to be the case. He was in a cardiac unit.

Had experienced fatigue then a collapse.

In reply to Flinticus:

Did a cardiology CPD session a few months back and the cardiologist said that one of the problems they now have in cardiology is that in the past when people came in with a heart attack/ coronary artery disease requiring treatment it was such a big deal and long stay that the message that they needed to make major changes to there lifestyles sunk in, now people are in and out so quick with no big drama or ill effects that they have a tendency to just carry on how they were and the whole thing happens again.

I hope you dad is home soon, and feeling better.

P.S It's a fascinating procedure to watch.

In reply to Flinticus:

Steering is a very routine procedure for those putting them in. They do it all day everyday. Nothing to worry about. A guidewire is usually X-ray guided into place and then the stent is threaded over the guidewire, they use a small balloon like instrument to make the stent fill the space and widen the blood vessel. As someone above mentioned it's more the reason for needing the stent that is of more concern.
Hope your dad makes a full and swift recovery

In reply to Flinticus:
I used to sell these devices.

They are tiny cages which are placed during a procedure called a baloon angioplasty, a tiny baloon is inflated under controlled pressue inside the stent. They are inserted through the wrist or thigh using a guide wire to navigate into one of the three main arteries around the heart. Its guided under xray; a contrast is used to reveal the arteries to allow the cardiologist to see where to place the device.

Its quite a skill steering a tiny wire into these tortuous places but its a routine and regular procedure.

There are two main types, a drug eluting stent or a standard without drugs. In both cases the stent is used as a scaffold to open up the arties where lesions occur. There is micro damage of the arterial wall, which is a good thing because it contains the stent in place.
The problems occur when the body tries to protect itself from the foreign body and completely cover the stent and occlude the artery again. This results in in-stent restenosis. The drug eluting stent is the answer to that; the stent is covered by a polymer into which a drug, Paclitaxel or similar, is impregnated. This drug elutes over time and prevents the lumen closing up.

In reply to Flinticus:

My Mum had one for years. He should be OK