Hi
I had an Angioplasty and four stents on Thursday. Another artery may be stented in four weeks. Not sure about it all but I feel fine like I'm going to live forever. This came after angina not a heart attack.
Do Stents last for ever these days? I'm 59 and don't really fancy a triple bypass op in ten years time.
Hi Madcatman
Welcome to the forum. Modern stents if they do they job should last forever. Modern stents are covered in a coating of a drug to stop scar tissue growing between the gaps in the stent, this will prevent the artery re-narrowing. If there is a problem with a stent there is the possibility of the artery being re-stented
Here's a link to a BHF article on the subject:-
The problem isn't usually the stent itself, the problem is that our underlying atherosclerosis never goes away.
Because there is no cure for atherosclerosis all the stent does is buy us a temporary reprieve from the symptoms of angina. It's only a combination of lifestyle changes and medication that can make any long term difference.
The really critical thing is to take full advantage of the "second chance" that stents can offer. Carefully think through what are the risk factors that have driven your personal atherosclerosis, and put in place a plan to change your lifestyle to eliminate those risk factors.
Good luck!
Hi Madcatman, I had my single stent to the LAD early 2011 age 52 also after angina. No change in the intervening years so I’m hoping it will keep going for a long while yet. My advice immediately after angioplasty is take it easy in the first week or so. It’s easy to do too much.
Took up the C25K challenge during lockdown and just about to complete it. So anything possible.
Hi I had 3 stents fitted in Dec and they were going to do more but after consultation of 3 cardiologists they decided to double Cabg the left side which I had done in January. I am 56 (female) they told me if I had the left side stented I’d probably be back for cabg in 10 years time so I elected to go under the knife. My recovery has been very slow due to wound infection and another 4 weeks and 4 operations in hospital. Got out end Feb and now finally starting to feel at bit better. Started private physio last week on the neck shoulder injuries from being on the table! I was told by both my stent surgeon and cabg surgeon that the stents should never need replacing? Good luck
Wow, that all sounds really rough! Glad you're on the mend now.
I have a single stent (left coronary was 99% blocked), so I asked my cardio when I saw him after I'd completed my rehab just how long this stent would last. "10 years", he said. Modern stents are usually made of metals such as titanium, so technically last forever. Like someone else already mentioned, though, the plaque comes back. He also said that your body eventually just grows over it.
Post MI, it's all about maintenance to prevent you going back to the A&E - I think they stress that enough.
I know my stent surgeon was screaming in the theatre for specific stents to be found for him to use, no idea if they use different ones privately against NHS (like they do dental fillings etc) but I was assured I should never need them replacing as the cabg surgeon said if they did he’d have replaced them with another graft whilst I was open on the table? I had both treatments privately for which I am very lucky as probably be still on an NHS waiting list if not!
Mine was done through the NHS and everyone was brilliant. I don't think stents need replacing as such but can potentially eventually become redundant as your body just grows around them, so you may end up just needing more stents? I think that's why all the maintenance (diet, exercise, medication) we have to do is important as it slows down the plaque build up that brought us all here in the first place.
Mine is inherited heart disease no fault if my own, how about you?
Both my parents died of MIs, so it was also inherited, but I did myself no favours by smoking for 26 years, not being active enough and eating crap.
Both me & dad got the bullet never smoked, always fit and always cooked from scratch just bloody unlucky! My GP treated me for asthma for 16 years which didn’t help 🤔. I’m finding recovery very slow and only just getting some support from the nhs, first follow up due next week, by phone!
Stents do indeed come in different sizes including lengths. Occasionally one may "furr" up but they can now stent within stent when required. Best way forward may be some lifestyle changes.
Stents
Stents 
Safe to have MRI soon after stents?
Six stents 
