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From:	Dr. Neal Pinckney (pinckney.vegsource.com)
Subject:	Re: What happens to the stents?
Date:	February 26, 2009 at 1:08 pm PST

In Reply to: What happens to the stents? posted by mark on February 25, 2009 at 4:46 pm:

A stent looks something like the spring in a retractable ball-point pen. Collapsed until after it's inserted, it then opens and holds the walls of the artery open.   For a while.

Unfortunately, stents tend to build up blockages as in any other place in a coronary artery. Some studies have shown that a majority of stents tend to block 50% or more of blood flow after only two months.

As in bypass surgery, blockages will continue to develop in stented areas unless a reversal lifestyle program is followed. (Ornish is one of many programs that accomplish this)

All too often, a person winds up in the hospital and a few hours later wakes up with stents inserted, never having been fully informed about what is happening. It's a lucrative process for hospitals.

Recent research has concluded that stents are rarely necessary, and that lifestyle changes and, in some cases medications, are more effective.

This forum encourages people to avoid stents. The technical aspects of them are beyond our scope.

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