What causes a stent to fail?
Mia Kelly
Published Jan 06, 2026
The two major causes of stent failure are stent thrombosis (ST) and in-stent restenosis (ISR).
What are the signs of stent failure?
Sometimes heart problems return after a stent procedure. 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.
How common is stent failure?
In the majority of patients (118; 78.1%), stenting was performed as provisional; in the remaining 33 (21.8%) as a bailout procedure. A total of 175 (3.3%) stents in 151 (4.3%) patients failed.
What causes stents to collapse?
Immediate stent collapse can be caused by vascular spasm [5] and elastic recoil of the vessel [6].
What does it mean when a stent fails?
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.
36 related questions foundWhat happens if my stent stops working?
Restenosis happens when a treated artery narrows again. When this happens in or around a stent, it's called in-stent restenosis (ISR). ISR is rare but can happen during the healing process as your damaged artery regrows around the stent and forms scar tissue.
How often should a heart stent be checked?
The timing of follow-up. As recommended in the German National Disease Management Guidelines, patients with CHD and those who have undergone stent implantation should be followed up regularly (every 3 to 6 months) by their primary care physicians.
Do stents have to be replaced?
Stents are made to be permanent and will continue to keep your artery open once they've been placed. However, stents don't cure the underlying condition that caused the buildup in your artery (atherosclerosis). You'll still need treatment to prevent future artery narrowing.
How long before a stent gets blocked?
In about 25% of patients, the growth of scar tissue underneath the lining of the artery may be so thick that it can obstruct the blood flow and produce an important blockage. In-stent restenosis is typically seen 3 to 6 months after the procedure; after 12 months have passed uneventfully, it is rare.
What is the success rate of stents?
Results: Procedural success was 95%. Death during the index hospitalization occurred in 3% of patients. An additional 4.1% of patients died during follow-up. The target vessel revascularization rate (TVR) during follow up was 8.6%.
Can a stent reject?
In rare cases, a person's body may reject the stent, or they may have an allergic reaction to the material in the stent. Anyone who has a known reaction to metals should talk to their doctor about alternatives.
Can stents go wrong?
Even though stents are generally safe to use, sometimes complications may occur during and after the stenting procedure. Complications are usually observed in people who have had previous surgeries to treat blocked arteries or who are affected with chronic diseases such as heart failure, kidney disease, or diabetes.
Can you damage a stent?
damage to the artery where the sheath was inserted. allergic reaction to the contrast agent used during the procedure. damage to an artery in the heart. excessive bleeding requiring a blood transfusion.
How does a stent look?
A stent, which looks like a tiny coil of wire mesh, supports the walls of your artery and helps prevent it from re-narrowing after angioplasty. Here's what happens during a stent placement: The stent, which is collapsed around a balloon at the tip of the catheter, is guided through the artery to the blockage.
How do you fix a blocked stent?
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.
Do and don'ts after stent?
Don't lift heavy objects. Avoid strenuous exercise. Avoid sexual activity for a week. Wait at least a week before swimming or bathing.
Can you stent a 100% blocked artery?
“Patients typically develop symptoms when an artery becomes narrowed by a blockage of 70 percent or more,” says Menees. “Most times, these can be treated relatively easily with stents. However, with a CTO, the artery is 100 percent blocked and so placing a stent can be quite challenging.”
How many coronary stents can a person have?
In answer to your first question, in some cases doctors can place two or even three stents during one procedure. There are, however, cases in which the cardiologist will want to place one and then place a second or even a third stent in a later procedure.
Which artery is Widowmaker?
A widowmaker is an informal term for a heart attack that involves 100 percent blockage in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, says Stanley Chetcuti, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center.
What is the most number of stents?
A Heart With 67 Stents
- Rami N. Khouzam,
- Rajvir Dahiya, and.
- Richard Schwartz.
How long do stents usually last?
How long will a stent last? It is permanent. There is just a 2–3 per cent risk of narrowing coming back, and if that happens it is usually within 6–9 months. If it does, it can potentially be treated with another stent.
Can stents move?
In short, the answer is no. Once a stent is opened in an artery, the tissue cells of the artery wall begin to grow over the stent. The stent becomes a part of the artery wall and cannot move.
How long do you stay on blood thinners after stents?
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 is stent restenosis?
In-stent restenosis (ISR) is the narrowing of a stented coronary artery lesion. The mean time from percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to ISR was 12 months with drug-eluting stents (DES) and 6 months with bare metal stents (BMS). ISR typically presents as recurrent angina.
Do you have to take blood thinners after a stent?
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.