Improvements in Stents for heart patients

According to an article at BBC News, scientists are now working on providing better stents for heart patients who have suffered artery blockages and have been forced to undergo balloon angioplasty followed by stent placement.

Angioplasty involves the inflation of a balloon within an artery to open it up to increased blood flow (decreased blood flow to the heart can result in a myocardial infarction and even death). After the balloon has been removed, stents are inserted to maintain the dilated width of the artery. The need for stents is actually temporary. However, as they are made of metal, they stay in "for life". Unfortunately, stents are subject to becoming blocked themselves.

The solution: biodegradable stents that dissolve in about four months.






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