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The art of vascular repair: How to achieve precise stent implantation through cardiac catheterization?
As the number of heart attacks continues to rise, cardiac catheterization and its related stent implantation technology are becoming increasingly important in the medical community. Among the many heart disease treatment options, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become a major solution for treating patients with coronary heart disease. In particular, the effectiveness of drug-eluting stents (DES) in improving patient prognosis has allowed them to occupy a dominant position in today's cardiovascular interventional procedures.
"A stent is a tube-shaped device used primarily to keep coronary arteries open, especially in patients affected by heart disease and heart attacks."
The main types of stents can be divided into drug-eluting stents and bare metal stents. In 2023, the proportion of drug-eluting stents used will exceed 90%, demonstrating its importance in cardiac interventional medicine. Not only that, stents can effectively reduce patients' angina (chest pain), significantly improve survival rates, and reduce the risk of complications after a heart attack.
The process of cardiac catheterization
Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure in which a catheter is passed through a blood vessel into the heart to precisely place a stent. This procedure is usually performed in two situations: as an emergency intervention during an acute heart attack, and in patients showing coronary artery stenosis. In non-acute situations, the patient usually remains awake while the stent is placed, and local anesthesia is used to reduce pain.
"During stent placement, interventional cardiologists use endovascular ultrasound and imaging techniques to evaluate the specific conditions of narrowing of blood vessels."
During the operation, the doctor inserts a catheter from a peripheral artery (such as the femoral or radial artery) and then delivers the drug-eluting stent into the blocked coronary artery. After expansion, the stent is firmly fixed on the artery wall to open the blood vessel that has been narrowed by atherosclerosis. At the site of insertion in the body, doctors will use a radioactive contrast agent to help identify the specific condition of the blood vessels.
Postoperative recovery and rehabilitation
Many patients do not need to be hospitalized after stent insertion, and most of the recovery time is to ensure that there is no bleeding where the needle was inserted. Patients are typically monitored with an electrocardiogram and given anticoagulant drugs (such as prasugrel) to prevent stent thrombosis.
“You will generally feel pain or congestion at the surgical site after surgery, which usually improves gradually within one to two weeks. Doctors will also advise patients to avoid lifting weights during this period.”
Regular follow-up exams are critical for patients, especially in the first three to six months after surgery, to help doctors monitor the patient's cardiovascular health. Therefore, it is crucial to diagnose heart lesions early over time.
Risks and sequelae
Although the risks of PCI surgery are relatively low, some serious complications may occur, such as arrhythmias, allergic reactions, blood vessel damage, and bleeding. Therefore, post-operative care and follow-up examinations are particularly important. As research continues to deepen, the issue of stent restenosis has also attracted much attention, and research on drug-eluting stents has provided new ideas for solving this problem.
Research and future prospects
Although the use of stents has shown clear clinical benefit in patients with acute conditions, the long-term efficacy in patients with stable angina remains controversial. Multiple clinical trials have shown that stents are less effective in stable patients under optimal medical therapy. Future research will focus on more precise patient selection and efficacy assessment to better meet patient needs.
“The development of cardiac catheterization and stent implantation is undoubtedly a major progress in the field of cardiovascular medicine, but the appropriateness of its application and individualized treatment of patients still need to be continuously explored.”
With the advancement of technology, the effect of cardiac catheterization will be more significant, and future medical treatment will become more personalized and precise. Facing the challenge of heart disease, do you think there are more unexplored possibilities in treatment?
