“Can you have heart attacks after stents?”
I am a 42 year old female and I will get a stent. Can you have heart attacks after stents?
5 Answers
Yes if you don’t take the medications that are prescribed, the stent can clot off and cause a heart attack. Regular follow up with your cardiologist after stent placement is very important.
Yes
A heart attack can occur after stents. It is essential to follow the instructions of your cardiologist regarding taking prescribed medications, especially blood thinners which are essential to maintain patency (flow) of the stents, particularly newer drug-eluding stents that require a year of blood thinners. Diabetics have been show to have a high rate of in-stent stenosis (recurrent narrowing of stents) than non-diabetics. Smoking after stents also can contribute to disease after stents and increase a chance of a heart attack.
Yes. The heart has a lot of vessels and some of them may have disease requiring more stents or surgery.
I suspect you are having a stent placed because you have one or more blockages in your coronary arteries. After the stent is placed, you will be on medications to help keep the stent open. Your cardiologist will discuss the possibility of the stent having problems in the short and long term. A heart attack could happen, but your cardiologist will help prevent that from happening.
