Drug-eluting stents and heart disease

Many people with coronary artery disease have been successfully treated with drug-eluting stents. Use of a drug-eluting stent may prevent the need for open-heart surgery called coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG, pronounced "cabbage"). But some people still need CABG.

A heart doctor called a cardiologist places a drug-eluting stent during coronary angioplasty. This treatment also is called percutaneous coronary intervention. It uses a thin tube called a catheter and a balloon with a stent on it. When the balloon is inflated, the stent is placed to help keep the artery open.

If you have chest pain because an artery in your heart is blocked, a drug-eluting stent may ease symptoms. It also may prevent the need for more coronary angioplasty procedures.