Patients Can’t Have More Than 5 To 6 Stents In Coronary Arteries: A Myth

By Dr. (Prof.) Purshotam Lal in Cardiology

Oct 21, 2017

5 years old Indonesian Industrialist gets 9th Stent Implanted at Metro Heart Institute, Noida

An ace Indonesian businessman, Iman Taufik (75), already being fitted with 8 stents, 7 implanted in Singapore and 1 in India, could have afforded the treatment of his heart in any of the western countries but he trusted India and its talented pool of doctors this time, indeed a moment of pride for us.

He was presented to Padma Vibhushan and Dr. B C Roy National Awardee, Dr. Purshotam Lal at Metro Heart Institute. His Coronary Angiography revealed that he had 90% block in the very large branch of Right Coronary Artery (RCA) supplying Substantial amount of blood to myocardium (muscle mass).

With 8 stents already in place, he feared this time the surgery could be the only option left for him and also because of his old age he was scared imagining his life after surgery.  But with the expertise of Dr. Lal this experience turned the best and convenient of all procedures until now. The Angioplasty procedure was done by the left arm (radial angioplasty) and the total time taken for the procedures (angiography and angioplasty) was meager 10 minutes.

There are many incidences when patients develop blockages in the same arteries where the stenting has repeatedly been done, sometimes 2-3 stents. In such scenarios patients usually are suggested bypass surgery but they don’t want to go for it. In such cases the high expertise of rare doctors, who can efficiently do multiple stenting in the same coronary artery, comes into rescue of such patients.

Review of the literature and follow-ups of such patients treated at Metro Heart Institute has shown that such patients, having many coronary artery stents, do very well. The key to this is the proper implantation of good quality stents by expert doctors. An experienced insight in such cases could save many patients.

Mr. Iman said he had terrible experience due to procedures and extended stay at the hospitals in Singapore and Jakarta. He was very happy with the swiftness and ease of the procedure and that he was discharged on the very next day. He also gave a strong message that the number of the stents doesn’t matter as long as these are good and implanted by the experts.