Submitted by Dr T on April 4, 2014 – 6:36pm
Question:
I’m 42 and had a cardiac infarction two months ago. My LDA was 99% blocked with what seemed mostly like clots from ruptured plaque. I was able to get to the ER within an hour of my attack and it looks like I didn’t suffer any damage to the heart muscle itself. VEF was 55 the next morning. They did put a drug eluding stent in do to the size of the blockage and emergency conditions. I will be on Effient for a year and aspirin and statins forever. My question is regarding the stent and the healing process…will the endothelial cells eventually cover the stent leaving the artery in a new state? or is it just scar tissue? Also, after my year of effient and once the stent is covered, is there still that much clot risk at the stent sight? And one more, does that section of the artery still have the ability to dialate and constrict as needed? I am in good shape with no other health issues besides I guess this newly found CAD
It sounds you were appropriately and successfully treated for an Acute Coronary Artery Syndrome. However, this also means you have coronary artey disease to a greater or lesser extent elsewhere that may need further treatment in the future. These medications don’t address that issue, and there certainly is a chance of stent failure and/or progression of disease locally or elsewhere (about a 10-15% failure rate of stents to stay open and more than 40% of patients with a stent will need another procedure within a year):
Therefore, you should review your cardiac risks and evaluate what you can do to live a heart healthy life style.
Re: “the ability to dilate and constrict as needed” the artey is locally destroyed by the stent and completely looses its ability to change size.
Hope this helps,
