Stent longevity

[bizzy55]

I was wondering what can go wrong with a stent after a number of years.

For example, if a blockage forms again within the stent can they replace the stent or does it need to be bypassed ?

[Chappychap]

A stent can't be removed, it beds into the artery, but a new stent can be inserted within an old stent.

But the bigger risk isn't the stent, it's the remainder of our coronary arteries. The heart disease that was the original reason for a stent never goes away, so there are patches of plaque throughout our arteries. These are more likely to "fail" than a stent.