Stenting is a medical procedure that ensures arteries running to and from the heart remains opened after Dr. Chadda and his team of cardiovascular specialists has cleared the arteries of damaging plaque. The medical procedure treating partially or mostly clogged arteries reduces heart disease symptoms such as chest pain and the tingling of the arms and legs. Stenting is also a medical procedure used to treat most heart attacks by increasing the flow of oxygenated blood from the heart.
Typically designed with metal mesh, stents allow healthcare professionals like Dr. Chadda to avoid performing invasive surgeries that require much longer recovery times. In most cases, stenting involves the application of a local anesthetic over the incision area, and the procedure takes about an hour to complete.
EVOLUTION OF STENTS
The treatment of atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries) has quickly evolved over the past 20 years. Manufactured with metal, first generation stents did not contain a drug coating that today accomplishes several medical goals. Bare metal stents have almost completely eliminated the risk of an artery collapsing, but the success rate for preventing artery re-narrowing is not as high. Roughly 25% of arteries propped up with a metal stent re-narrow in fewer than six months.
Advances in stent design included drug eluting stents, which carries drugs that prevent artery walls from closing. Clinical trials demonstrated drug eluted stent lower the rate of artery re-narrowing to about 10% of all cardiovascular cases. Drug coated stents also helped diabetic patients by preventing the re-narrowing of arteries.
BREAKTHROUGH IN 2016
2016 was a breakthrough year for stent design, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of a new stent designed with a polymer that over time dissolves within an artery. The new stent includes a very small scaffold that ensures the medical device remains secure in the place where Dr. Chadda inserts the stent. It also delivers a drug referred to as everolimus that limits or prevents the growth of scar tissue that inhibits the flow of blood. The FDA is testing several second and third generation stent designs, including a stent covered with an anti-restenosis medication. Another stent innovation produces an all-natural thin layer inside of an artery that prevents plaque from reforming along artery walls.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SUBCLAVIAN ARTERY
We have two subclavian arteries that generate blood flow for our arms. The two subclavian arteries run to the vertebrae arteries, transporting blood from the base of the neck to the brain. Located under the clavicle, the right subclavian artery runs from the brachiocephalic trunk. The left subclavian artery connects to the arch section of the aorta artery. Hardening of the subclavian arteries can eventually create symptoms that include fatigue and tingling of the arms.
SUBCLAVIAN ARTERY STENOSIS
The experienced team of heart experts who work with Dr. Chadda typically suspect the presence of subclavian artery stenosis by recording abnormally high blood pressure differences between the arms. A difference in arm blood pressure that exceeds 20mmHg indicates stenosis in the arm producing the higher blood pressure. In addition to fatigue and tingling of an arm, subclavian artery stenosis can also cause vertigo and create a bluish hue on one or more fingers of the affected arm.
EXPERTS AT SUBCLAVIAN ARTERY STENTING
Dr. Nader Chadda and his team of cardiovascular professionals meets with patients before subclavian artery stenting to discuss fasting before the medical procedure, as well as the recommendation to stop taking certain medications, especially blood thinners. We will explain the procedure, including how much time you can expect to take for a full recovery. The procedure involves the surgeon making a small incision near the area of subclavian artery stenosis. Then, we thread a very thin tube called a catheter that secures a stent through the incision area towards the arm arteries that have experienced the accumulation of plaque.
Contact our highly rated clinic to learn more about subclavian artery stenting. We will help you determine the need for the non-invasive cardiovascular procedure.