Inserting a heart ring or stent is a procedure that aims to widen narrowed or blocked coronary arteries in the heart. This procedure is also known as Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) or coronary angioplasty . The installation of this heart ring is useful for restoring the function of the coronary arteries, namely to provide adequate blood supply to the heart muscle.
Under what conditions does a heart ring need to be placed?
Heart rings generally need to be installed in patients with coronary heart disease. Usually, coronary heart disease is caused by a blockage or narrowing of the coronary arteries. This narrowing or blockage of blood vessels can be caused by the amount of fat that has accumulated or calcium that has deposited in the heart. When blood vessels narrow, it will be difficult for the heart to get sufficient blood supply and oxygen.
Early symptoms of coronary heart disease can be pain / pain in the chest that is felt during activity (referred to as "angina pectoris"), and disappears / decreases with rest. This happens because during activity the heart rate increases rapidly and the heart muscle requires more oxygen. There is an imbalance between "supply" and "demand" by the blockage in the coronary arteries. This condition is called "stable" coronary heart disease.
Other conditions can occur when a person has a coronary heart attack or "heart attack". Symptoms include chest pain that is felt to be getting worse, feels like being pressed by a heavy burden or like being squeezed, can spread to the back, arms and jaw. If a severe attack can be accompanied by cold sweat, nausea and vomiting and even fainting.
In this condition the doctor will examine the heart record (electrocardiogram / EKG), and the patient is advised to immediately undergo cardiac catheterization and stent / ring placement as indicated.
This situation can be more fatal if the heart muscles have died. This is the reason why someone who has coronary heart disease should immediately consult a specialist to get the right solution to avoid heart failure.
What preparations must be made before the heart ring is placed?
Before suggesting catheterization and heart ring installation, of course the doctor will first review the patient's medical history and conduct a thorough physical examination. This physical examination includes: chest x-ray, blood test, electrocardiogram, echocardiography, as well as a heart weight training or treadmill test (if possible). If the examination results indicate coronary heart disease, the doctor will recommend evaluating the coronary arteries, either with a coronary CT scan or cardiac catheterization.
What is the shape and procedure of the heart ring?
The heart ring is in the form of a small tube composed of wires like a net and made of metal like a ballpoint pen. Generally, heart rings are about 10-40mm long and 2-4.5mm in diameter. The size of the heart ring varies to the size of the coronary arteries, because the installation of this heart ring is a permanent installation that will later be attached to the heart and cannot be removed again. The surface of the heart ring is also coated with special drugs that can help prevent blockages from occurring again.
A specialist in heart and blood vessel surgery will insert a small tube or catheter through a blood vessel in the wrist or thigh. The small tube will then be directed to the coronary arteries. The doctor will insert a contrast agent and assess blood flow in the coronary vessels. If a significant blockage is found, then the action is continued with the stent insertion process.
What care should be taken after the heart ring is inserted?
After installing the heart ring, generally the patient will be admitted to the hospital to monitor the condition of the heart and adjust the medication. Patients can only carry out normal activities and routines for about 2-3 days after the procedure is carried out. In addition, patients are also prohibited from doing strenuous exercise or lifting heavy objects for at least a day after being allowed to go home.
Even though the heart ring has been installed, the patient must also maintain a healthy lifestyle such as: quitting smoking, maintaining an ideal body weight, exercising regularly, controlling diabetes, cholesterol, and high blood pressure levels. To get complete and reliable information, it would be best if you consult a cardiologist at the EMC Hospital so that your preparations are more thorough before, during and after the heart ring is placed. #LiveExcellently
Article written by dr. Bambang Widyantoro, Sp.JP, PhD (Cardiologist and Blood Vessel Specialist at EMC Sentul Hospital).
Education & Training dr. Bambang Widyantoro, Sp.JP, PhD :
2002 - Medical Doctor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia.
2010 - PhD in Cardiovascular Medicine, Kobe University Japan.
2013 - Cardiologist, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia.
2016 - Intensive and Critical Care Cardiology.
2017 - Interventional Cardiology.
Practice schedule :
Wednesday, 18.00 – 21.00 WIB.
Saturday, 09.00 – 12.00 WIB.