First of all, let's try to answer what the procedure of placing stents in the coronary vessels (stenting) is. It is the placement of a metal structure called a stent into the coronary vessels that feed the heart, during a procedure called angioplasty (similar to angioplasty) as part of the procedure. Stents are high-tech metal (mostly steel, cobalt) structures that are braided like a cage, but whose mesh shapes are designed as a result of long studies to give the most suitable results, are very thinned, and then undergone special polishing processes. The purpose of placing the stent into the vessel is to reduce the risk of narrowing or occlusion of that area of the vessel again. We can compare this process to supporting the wall (e.g. concreting) to prevent collapse following the opening of a tunnel.
With the use of stents, coronary interventions have become much safer for both the patient and the patient. and the rate of narrowing of the vessels has decreased, resulting in the need for re-intervention.
Until a few years ago, drug-free (bare metal) stents were used in our country, as in the rest of the world. In the last 3-4 years, a new stent group has emerged in the world and therefore in our country. These stents, unlike previous generation stents, are stents that release the loaded drug into the vein. Drug-eluting stents (more accurately, drug-eluting stents) reduce the rate of vascular re-narrowing compared to drug-free stents, thanks to the drug loaded on them and released into the environment following their placement in the vein. Because, as a result of both the natural occlusion process of the vein and the healing process of the trauma caused by the intervention on the vein, there is always a risk of the treated veins narrowing and clogging again.
Today, in America Drug-eluting stents are preferred in more than 90% of coronary interventions. Thanks to their intensive use in the last 3-4 years, our knowledge about drug-eluting stents is increasing. In this way, some points about the use of drug-eluting stents, which seem to almost eliminate coronary bypass surgery, are attracting more and more attention. Bare metal stents (without medication) are placed into the vein and are covered by the vascular structures in a short time. They become part of the landscape. It is reported that this period may be very long for drug-eluting stents. Therefore, people who have a medicated stent placed need to use special medications for a long time (between 3 months and 2 years) against the risk of clot formation on the stent. It is recommended that people who will not or cannot use such medications should stay away from medicated stents. The second point is that medicated stents reduce the risk of re-narrowing of the vessel compared to non-medicated ones, but the risk never drops to "0".
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