How Is Stent Thrombosis Treated?

Very late stent thrombosis (VLST) refers to ST occurring more than 1 year after the index PCI. 2. VLST is a potentially life-threatening complication of DES that usually presents as acute myocardial infarction (MI) or sudden death.

Why do drug eluting stents cause thrombosis?

The drug coating is depleted and there is no new tissue coating the stent struts. As a result, blood flows directly over a “bare” surface, a perfect set-up for thrombus formation.

What is PCI thrombosis?

Stent thrombosis is a major complication associated with stent placement in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Stent thrombosis has been associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, often leading to events of cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI).

What causes stent thrombosis?

The primary factors contributing to stent thrombosis are inadequate stent deployment, incomplete stent apposition, residual stenosis, unrecognized dissection impairing blood flow, and noncompliance with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Noncompliance with DAPT is the most common cause of stent thrombosis.

How is stent thrombosis diagnosed?

Consensus Definition of Stent Thrombosis—Academic Research Consortium. Definite stent thrombosis: a patient with clinical signs or symptoms of an acute coronary syndrome and angiographic or autopsy evidence of a thrombus 5 mm proximal or distal to the stent.

What are drug-eluting stents coated with?

A drug-eluting stent is coated with time-release medicine. That medication is gradually released into your blood vessel to prevent it from becoming blocked again.

Do stents cause blood clots?

Though stents are used to treat coronary artery disease (CAD) and its complications, including clots, stents themselves can also lead to clots. The presence of a foreign body, such as a stent, in constant contact with the blood may lead to clotting in some people.

What happens if stent is blocked?

The most common method is to maneuver a drug-coated stent wrapped around a balloon into the middle of the closed-up stent. Inflating the balloon pushes aside the material obstructing the old stent and opens the new one. This often, but not always, solves the problem for good.

What is Vlst?

Very late stent thrombosis (VLST) is a catastrophic and life-threatening complication after percutaneous coronary intervention which presents as an acute coronary syndrome with significantly high mortality and morbidity. VLST is a rare entity with drug-eluting stents and even rarer with bare metal stents.

What are the signs of stent failure?

Symptoms will usually tell you if there’s a problem.

If that happens, you usually have symptoms—like chest pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath. If you do have symptoms, a stress test can help your doctor see what’s going on. It can show if a blockage has returned or if there’s a new blockage.

What is the single most important risk factor for stent thrombosis?

The most important risk factor for early or late ST after BMS or first-generation DES implantation is premature discontinuation of DAPT. For BMS, this period appears to be 30 days, and for first-generation DES, it is at least 6 to 9 months.

How long do you need to be on blood thinners after a stent?

It has been common practice for patients who have had a stent placed to clear a blocked artery to take an anti-clotting drug (such as Plavix, Effient, or Brilinta) plus aspirin for 12 months after the procedure. Taking these two medications, called dual anti-platelet therapy, reduces the risk of forming blood clots.

What are the side effects of heart stents?

What are the risks associated with heart angioplasty and stent placement?

  • an allergic reaction to medication or dye.
  • breathing problems.
  • bleeding.
  • a blockage of the stented artery.
  • a blood clot.
  • a heart attack.
  • an infection.
  • re-narrowing of the artery.

What to avoid after having a stent?

Don’t lift heavy objects. Avoid strenuous exercise. Avoid sexual activity for a week. Wait at least a week before swimming or bathing.

Should you take blood thinners after stents?

After drug-eluting stent placement, you need to take aspirin and a stronger prescription blood thinner such as clopidogrel (Plavix) to prevent blood clotting in the stent. You may need to take a daily aspirin for the rest of your life.

How long do drug coated stents last?

Our study findings suggest that the long-term survival (to 3 years) of patients with drug-eluting stents remains favourable overall. It is not measurably worse than that of patients with bare-metal stents.

What are stents coated in?

Silicon carbide is an inert semiconductor that can be coated onto prosthetic surfaces and has been shown to be relatively biocompatible and hemocompatible in in vitro studies. Stents coated with silicon carbide also appear to be less thrombogenic than bare metal stents when implanted in human coronary arteries.

What drug is in DES stent?

DES consist of a standard metallic stent, a polymer coating, and an antirestenotic drug that is mixed within the polymer and released over time. First-generation DES include sirolimus-eluting stents (SES; 2003) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES; 2004) (TABLE 1).

Does aspirin prevent stent thrombosis?

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy with a thienopyridine (ticlopidine or clopidogrel) and aspirin is used to reduce the risk of late stent thrombosis and complications (myocardial infarction and death) after placement of a drug-eluting stent (DES).

When does in stent restenosis occur?

What does restenosis mean? Restenosis occurs when the treated vessel becomes blocked again. It usually occurs within 6 months after the initial procedure. Compared with balloon angioplasty alone, where the chance of restenosis is 40%, stents reduce the chance of restenosis to 25%.

What is subacute stent thrombosis?

Subacute stent thrombosis was defined as recurrent ischemia and documented vessel occlusion at the site of stent implantation within 7 days after successful index PCI. Successful PCI was defined as a patent vessel at the treatment site with anterograde TIMI-3 flow and angiographic residual stenosis less than 50%.

What causes stent restenosis?

What Causes Restenosis? Restenosis is caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue. When a stent is first placed, healthy tissue from the lining of your cell walls grows inside of it. This is good because it keeps your blood from clotting as it flows through the stent.

What does in stent restenosis mean?

Restenosis means that a section of blocked artery that was opened up with angioplasty or a stent has become narrowed again. There are many treatment options for patients who have restenosis after receiving a stent.