How will I know if my heart stent has failed?

Doctor's Answers 2

Well the term “stent failure” usually indicates either that renarrowing has occurred or that it has been blocked completely.

Complete blockage can be sudden and obviously causes chest pain, breathlessness or sweating, chest discomfort and may include all the features of a heart attack.

Re-narrowing on the other hand, usually occurs slowly over time and is marked by return of symptoms such as chest pain or breathlessness on walking. In fact, any of the symptoms you had before the heart stent was inserted can return.

Some cardiologist do perform routine tests like a treadmill stress test after insertion of heart stents while others would monitor for symptoms with regular followup in the heart clinic.

Well the term “stent failure” usually indicates either that renarrowing has occurred or that it has been blocked completely.

Complete blockage can be sudden and obviously causes chest pain, breathlessness or sweating, chest discomfort and may include all the features of a heart attack.

Re-narrowing on the other hand, usually occurs slowly over time and is marked by return of symptoms such as chest pain or breathlessness on walking. In fact, any of the symptoms you had before the heart stent was inserted can return.

Some cardiologist do perform routine tests like a treadmill stress test after insertion of heart stents while others would monitor for symptoms with regular followup in the heart clinic.

Similar Questions

What are the latest advancements in heart stent insertion and angioplasty technology?

There have been many improvements in stent technology but one of the noteworthy changes have been the ability to image better inside the arteries. This is a technique called OCT or Optical Coherence tomography which helps us to visualize upto 20 microns ie almost see the vessel live. This makes it easier to see the fat accumulation inside the blood vessel and the likelihood of the plaque rupturing and if stenting is necessary. It also helps to ensure that stent placement is optimal.

Photo of Dr Nandakumar Ramasami

Answered By

Dr Nandakumar Ramasami

Cardiologist

How safe is an angioplasty, and what are the main risks of having an angiogram and angioplasty in Singapore?

Angioplasties are very safe in this day and age with modern medicine and technological advancements.

Photo of Dr Julian Tan

Answered By

Dr Julian Tan

Cardiologist

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