A stent is a stainless steel mesh tube that is attached to the end of a
catheter , which is threaded through to the coronary artery. The stent
self-expands to keep the vessel open.
Our interventional cardiologists team up with our surgeons and
echocardiographers for this procedure, which allows them to insert a
larger stent. The larger stent gives the surgeon better access to the
heart and vessels during surgery, which allows them to finish their
procedures in a shorter period of time.
Other benefits to patients include:
Decreased hospital time
Decreased time under anesthesia
Reduced exposure to radiation
Decreased pain and trauma to the child
Longer freedom between procedures
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital is located in Palo Alto, adjacent to Stanford University Hospital, approximately 20 miles north of San Jose, CA and 40 miles south of San Francisco.