At present, despite the rapid development of medical technology, there is still no cure for coronary heart disease, a common cardiovascular disease. However, the good news is that with a range of well-designed treatment options, we can effectively manage and control the progression of coronary heart disease, thereby reducing the risk of complications that it may cause.
At present, the main treatment methods for coronary heart disease include drug therapy, stent therapy and bypass therapy. Among them, cardiac stent surgery is widely used in clinical practice as an important treatment method.
The procedure is delicate and complex, and the doctor places a mesh metal stent in the area where the patient's coronary arteries are severely narrowed. The stent is like a delicate bridge across a narrow blood vessel.
Then, a precision-controlled balloon dilation technique gently stretches the narrowed artery to restore smooth blood flow. The purpose of this series of procedures is to re-establish the blood supply to the heart and relieve the discomfort caused by insufficient blood supply to patients with coronary heart disease.
01
When do I need to put a stent?
Under what circumstances do cardiac stents become necessary for the treatment of patients with coronary heart disease? When faced with stable lesions, we need to carefully assess the patient's specific situation.
If the narrowing of the coronary arteries is less than about 80% and the patient has no obvious symptoms, such as chest tightness and chest pain, then in most cases, there is no need to rush to place a stent. At this point, medication and regular medical follow-up are sufficient to maintain stability.
However, once the stenosis exceeds about 80%, and the patient clearly feels chest tightness and chest pain in daily life, and the presence of myocardial ischemia is confirmed by medical examination, then for the patient's life safety and quality of life, we will recommend the placement of a cardiac stent to alleviate the adverse effects of stenosis.
The situation is quite different for unstable lesions. Patients with unstable lesions are at extremely high risk of myocardial infarction and even sudden death. In this case, cardiac stent surgery becomes an important life-saving tool and needs to be performed immediately.
Doctors race against time to perform the procedure to ensure that the stent accurately opens the narrowed blood vessel and restores normal blood flow. Cardiac stent is not only a medical tool, but also a hope for patients with coronary heart disease to regain their lives.
However, this does not mean that stent surgery is suitable for all populations. Clinicians make it clear that cardiac stent surgery is primarily for patients between the ages of 35-65 years.
For people who do not meet this age group, doctors will consider a variety of factors to develop a more appropriate treatment plan for them, so as to ensure that each patient can receive the most suitable treatment for them.
02
Will heart stent surgery be stopped in China?
Cardiac stent surgery is widely used worldwide, both domestically and internationally. Scholars have conducted in-depth studies on the use of cardiac stents in the United States and Japan between 2013 and 2017.
In the United States, approximately 550,000 patients with coronary heart disease were treated with stents in 2013, and by 2017, that number had climbed to 638,000, showing a significant upward trend.
Similarly, the number of cases in Japan increased from 180,000 to 247,000 during this period, indicating that stent surgery is also widely accepted and used in Japan.
These data fully illustrate that cardiac stent surgery is one of the main means of treating coronary heart disease at home and abroad. Whether in the United States, Japan, or China, stent surgery plays a vital role.
Especially for patients with acute myocardial infarction, stents are the preferred life-saving measure. Myocardial infarction is a fatal disease, and cardiac stent surgery can quickly open vascular access, which not only saves the patient's life, but also effectively reduces the condition of myocardial necrosis, and buys valuable time for the patient.
03
Is cardiac stent surgery a big benefit or a big disadvantage?
Of course, although cardiac stent surgery plays an important role in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, we must also face up to its drawbacks.
First of all, any surgery comes with certain risks, and cardiac stent surgery is no exception. Despite the fact that modern medical technology is very advanced, the risks during surgery are still not negligible.
During the procedure, patients may experience serious complications such as anesthetic allergy, arrhythmia, and heart rupture, although the probability of these conditions is relatively low, but once they occur, the consequences are often very serious and may even threaten the patient's life.
Secondly, although cardiac stent surgery can quickly alleviate the symptoms caused by vascular stenosis, it cannot fundamentally solve the problem of vascular plaque.
The function of the stent is mainly to expand the narrowed blood vessel and restore blood circulation, but the stent has no therapeutic effect on the inflammation and cholesterol deposition of the blood vessel itself.
Therefore, patients still need to actively control risk factors such as blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipids after receiving stent surgery to prevent the further development of vascular lesions.
Despite these drawbacks, cardiac stent surgery can still be an effective means of saving a patient's life in some cases. Taking myocardial infarction as an example, the mortality rate of myocardial infarction was as high as 30% before stent therapy, and with the widespread application of stent technology, the mortality rate of myocardial infarction has dropped significantly to about 5%.
This means that out of 100 patients with myocardial infarction, we can save 25 more patients with stent surgery. Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, the pros and cons of stent surgery still outweigh the pros and cons for patients who need a stent to save their lives.
04
How many years do you live after a stent? It's important to do these well
After the installation of a heart stent, the mood of patients and their families is often accompanied by deep anxiety: how long can they live? The continuation of life depends more on how the patient manages risk factors such as coronary heart disease.
Coronary heart disease, a chronic disease, does not disappear completely just by putting a stent in it. The implantation of the stent only opens a passage of life, but postoperative maintenance is equally crucial.
Regular medication after surgery is essential to help stabilize the condition and reduce the likelihood of recurrence. At the same time, patients need to strictly control their blood pressure and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
In terms of diet, it is necessary to stay away from foods high in salt, fat and calories, and in terms of living habits, we should quit smoking and drinking, work and rest regularly, avoid staying up late, and exercise moderately, which will help the body recover.
In addition, the adjustment of mindset is also crucial. Patients should avoid mood swings, maintain an optimistic attitude, and relax their mood and relieve bad mood by reading, listening to music, etc.
At the same time, patients also need to pay close attention to high-risk factors such as hypertension and hyperglycemia, and insist on taking medication according to the doctor's instructions to maintain the stability of blood pressure and blood sugar.