Stenting of the coronary arteries and carotids

Stenting coronary arteries with angioplasty is a modern, practically non-traumatic operation that is performed on cardiac vessels that are atherosclerotic altered. This intervention is aimed at restoring the normal volume of blood flow by restoring the patency of arterial vessels. Stenting of the coronary arteries implies the introduction of an arterial vessel of a special balloon with a stent into the pathological process altered. This causes the expansion of the lumen, as well as the normal perfusion of the heart tissue.

Stenting of the coronary arteries requires preliminary preparation. It is necessary to perform coronary angiography, thanks to which the cardiac surgeon before the operation learns how much the vessels are involved in the pathological process, what quantity of stents it is necessary to put and in what place they need to be installed. Compared with coronary artery bypass grafting , this procedure does not require cutting the thorax, and a long postoperative period is unnecessary. Stenting of the coronary arteries is much safer.

In the fight against ischemic heart disease, this method is very effective. The stenting of the coronary arteries gets very good feedback. However, the choice of surgical intervention still remains with the attending physician. Only he can assess adequately, based on a specific situation, all the pros and cons.

Not so long ago, the stenting of the carotid arteries began to develop. This method has become a good alternative to surgical intervention in the defeat of cerebral arteriosclerosis. For a long time, surgical endarterectomy remained the method of choice (despite its high traumaticity, the formation of repeated stenosis and the risk of late proliferation), because when using stenting of the carotid arteries, distal embolization and ischemic stroke often developed. Only after the introduction into practice of endovascular microfilters, which are established during surgery distal to narrowing and do not miss anything that is larger in size than the blood cells, stenting has become the optimal method. This method of treating atherosclerosis has become safe and highly effective.

At the present stage, the number of stenting of the carotid arteries considerably exceeds the number of surgical endarterectomy. Numerous studies have shown that stenting significantly reduces the incidence of ischemic stroke and mortality. This procedure is performed most often under local anesthesia. During the operation, the patient is connected to special equipment that monitors vital indicators. The surgeon usually communicates with the patient, giving periodic instructions to squeeze the ball or toy to monitor the functioning of the brain. Usually, stenting is followed by angioplasty, during which a catheter with a balloon at the end is inserted through the peripheral artery. The catheter is placed at the site of constriction, then the balloon is inflated, expanding the lumen of the artery. During this manipulation, the patient does not feel pain, since there are no nerve endings in the intima of the vessels. Then the distal to this place is a filter that prevents embolism. Next, the stent is inserted using another catheter. At the end of the operation, the filter is removed, and the stent remains in the carotid artery.

Stenting carotids is not the only area where peripheral endovascular interventions are performed. With the development of atherosclerosis of other localization (eg, damage to the arteries of the kidneys or arteries of the limbs), it is traditionally corrected by endovascular methods.