INTRACORONARY STENTS

Course overview

ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1977, IN ZURICH GERMANY, ANDREAS GRUNZIG PERFORMED THE FIRST BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY IN A CORONARY ARTERY ON ANDREAS BACHMAN. GRUNZIG USED THE FIRST KNOWN BALLOON, A DG 20-30. THIS METHOD OF TREATING A CORONARY ARTERY WAS EFFECTIVE 10 TO 20 YEARS AFTER BACHMAN PERFORMED THIS FIRST PROCEDURE. FOLLOW-UP STUDIES REVEALED EXCELLENT VESSEL PATENCY. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT THE TYPICAL RESULT FOR MOST PATIENTS RECEIVING BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY AS THE ACHILLES HEEL OF BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY IS A 5% TO 10% ACUTE VESSEL CLOSURE AFTER THE PROCEDURE. BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY CREATES VESSEL DISSECTION AT THE EDGES OF PLAQUES, AND THESE ARE NIDUS POINTS FOR THROMBUS AND SUBSEQUENT OCCLUSION. THIS PROBLEM WITH BALLOON ANGIOPLASTY LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BARE METAL CORONARY STENTS THAT COULD ACT AS SCAFFOLDS TO UPHOLD AND OUTWARDLY COMPRESS THE VASCULAR EPITHELIAL BED. THESE ORIGINAL STENTS WERE THICK STAINLESS STEEL DEVICES WITH POOR RADIAL FORCE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE INDICATIONS FOR INTRACORONARY STENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE.