- Angioplasty with drug-eluting stent
- Indications for drug-eluting stents
- Drug stent price
- Advantages of the drug-eluting stent
The drug-eluting stent is a spring-like device, coated with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs that serves to unblock the arteries of the heart, brain or even the kidneys.
They differ from conventional stents in that they have medications in their structures. These medications are released in the first 12 months of implantation, in order to decrease the chance of the vessel closing again. In conventional ones, which present only the metallic structure, without medications, there is a greater risk that, in the first 12 months of implantation, the vessel will close again.
Angioplasty with drug-eluting stent
In angioplasty with a drug-eluting stent, the stent is introduced into the clogged artery, through a catheter, and acts as a frame, which pushes the fatty plates that obstruct the artery, preventing the passage of blood, and "holds" the walls of the artery so that it remains open, allowing better blood flow. These stents also act by slowly releasing immunosuppressive medications that decrease the chance of new vessel closure.
Indications for drug-eluting stents
The drug-eluting stent is indicated for clearing arteries, as long as they are not too tortuous or too close to a bifurcation, where 1 artery is subdivided into 2.
Due to their high cost, drug-eluting stents are reserved for cases of patients at high risk of having new vessel closure, such as diabetic patients, extensive lesions, the need to place many stents, among others.
Drug stent price
The price of the drug-eluting stent is approximately 12 thousand reais, but in some cities in Brazil, it can be paid for by SUS.
Advantages of the drug-eluting stent
One of the advantages of the drug-eluting stent in relation to the use of the traditional stent (made of metal) is the release of medication in order to decrease the chance of new stenosis or vessel closure.
