Coronary Stents

One of the most common cardiovascular devices used today are coronary stents. Coronary stents are tiny mesh tubes that are inserted into blocked or narrowed arteries during a procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention, or angioplasty. During angioplasty, a catheter equipped with an inflatable balloon is guided into the blocked artery. The balloon is inflated to flatten the plaque against the artery wall, widening the passage for blood flow. A stent is then positioned and expanded over the plaque to help keep the artery open.

There have been many advances in stent technology that have improved patient outcomes. Early stents were made of stainless steel mesh and were quite rigid. Over time, drug-eluting stents were developed that are coated with medications like rapamycin or paclitaxel to prevent renarrowing of the artery, known as restenosis. This significantly reduced the need for repeated procedures. More recently, bioresorbable stents have been introduced that dissolve over time after doing their job of propping open the artery. This allows the artery to return to its original natural state once the stent is absorbed.

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

Implantable Cardiovascular Devices defibrillators, or ICDs, are small battery-powered devices placed under the skin to monitor the heart for abnormal rhythms and deliver shocks or pacing therapies as needed to restore a normal rhythm. ICDs are often used in patients who are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest from ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening heart rhythm where the heart quivers instead of pumping blood effectively.

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