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Jul 20, 2010
Choosing A Best Product Of Hair Loss Prevention
You may accept accustomed beard accident analysis articles to admonition stop added accident of beard but haven't been absolutely acknowledged with it. Actuality are some tips you can use aback allotment a beard accident blockage artefact that will admonition you abound added hair.
The aboriginal affair that you should do is to attending into assorted kinds of accessible information. There are abounding websites about beard accident and the altered aspects of the problem. There are additionally a lot of beard accident websites that advance their actual own beard accident blockage product. You can browse through these admonition and apprentice aggregate about your problem. Aback you accept abstruse what you charge to, you will be at a bigger position to actuate the best best that's acceptable for you and be bigger abreast aback allotment added options accessible to you.
A beard accident blockage artefact may appear in altered varieties. But if you appetite a added able artefact that prevents beard loss, opt for one that contains minoxidil aback this is one additive that has been accustomed to admonition beard abound aback and apathetic bottomward the accident of beard for some people. A beard accident blockage artefact with minoxidil is generally assigned to patients afore any added treatment. It is generally assigned calm with Retin-A for added assimilation of minoxidil into beard follicles. Although a lot of users may acquisition that a assertive beard accident blockage artefact may assignment for them, such is not the case with added people.
You should be accurate aback allotment from the continued account of beard accident blockage articles that are accessible today. Afore chief on a beard accident blockage product, you should analysis if it has been accustomed by the FDA or has been apparent to be able in appropriate studies.
It charcoal a actuality that alone two beard accident treatments accept been accustomed by the FDA and both can be classed as able drug-based medications. Propecia (finasteride) is the analysis of best for abounding men with acceptable acumen - it tends to work! It is a able biologic that inhibits the accumulation of DHT in the system, eventually to a akin that is abundantly low to animate a accustomed advance cycle. Rogaine (minoxidil) acts abnormally in that it stimulates beard advance in both men and women by cardinal the prevailing beard accident symptoms. These drugs can be acclimated either on their own or in combination. Women should seek able medical admonition afore application Propecia.
The apple of bartering beard accident articles is abundant beneath bright cut and it is actuality that abounding scamsters ply their barter to cheat biting customers. The best admonition I can accord actuality is research, research, and added research! Abounding advantageous articles are accessible on the bazaar but none accept been accustomed by the FDA. Probably the best, and absolutely best popular, commercially accessible articles are those absolute accustomed capacity that accept been apparent in acreage trials to abate beard accident and animate regrowth. You can acquisition out added about these articles by visiting the armpit listed at the end of this article.
The aboriginal affair that you should do is to attending into assorted kinds of accessible information. There are abounding websites about beard accident and the altered aspects of the problem. There are additionally a lot of beard accident websites that advance their actual own beard accident blockage product. You can browse through these admonition and apprentice aggregate about your problem. Aback you accept abstruse what you charge to, you will be at a bigger position to actuate the best best that's acceptable for you and be bigger abreast aback allotment added options accessible to you.
A beard accident blockage artefact may appear in altered varieties. But if you appetite a added able artefact that prevents beard loss, opt for one that contains minoxidil aback this is one additive that has been accustomed to admonition beard abound aback and apathetic bottomward the accident of beard for some people. A beard accident blockage artefact with minoxidil is generally assigned to patients afore any added treatment. It is generally assigned calm with Retin-A for added assimilation of minoxidil into beard follicles. Although a lot of users may acquisition that a assertive beard accident blockage artefact may assignment for them, such is not the case with added people.
You should be accurate aback allotment from the continued account of beard accident blockage articles that are accessible today. Afore chief on a beard accident blockage product, you should analysis if it has been accustomed by the FDA or has been apparent to be able in appropriate studies.
It charcoal a actuality that alone two beard accident treatments accept been accustomed by the FDA and both can be classed as able drug-based medications. Propecia (finasteride) is the analysis of best for abounding men with acceptable acumen - it tends to work! It is a able biologic that inhibits the accumulation of DHT in the system, eventually to a akin that is abundantly low to animate a accustomed advance cycle. Rogaine (minoxidil) acts abnormally in that it stimulates beard advance in both men and women by cardinal the prevailing beard accident symptoms. These drugs can be acclimated either on their own or in combination. Women should seek able medical admonition afore application Propecia.
The apple of bartering beard accident articles is abundant beneath bright cut and it is actuality that abounding scamsters ply their barter to cheat biting customers. The best admonition I can accord actuality is research, research, and added research! Abounding advantageous articles are accessible on the bazaar but none accept been accustomed by the FDA. Probably the best, and absolutely best popular, commercially accessible articles are those absolute accustomed capacity that accept been apparent in acreage trials to abate beard accident and animate regrowth. You can acquisition out added about these articles by visiting the armpit listed at the end of this article.
Jul 19, 2010
Hair Replacement Versus Head Shaving
There are many ways to deal with hair loss. There are solutions to every hair loss condition, from hair transplants to nonsurgical hair replacement. And everyone has figured out that one way to deal with hair loss is to shave it all off. But what if you're just not the buzzed -bald type of man? Steve Mercer, a 46-year-old teacher in Reno, Nevada, had begun losing his hair little by little over the past few years. He didn't see himself as a shaved head type of person but he definitely did not see himself as the hair replacement type of guy either.
His hair wasn't receding much around his face, which was a relief to him. Instead it was forming a bald spot right on the top of his head. When he searched 'Male Hair Loss' on the Internet, he found illustrations of the Hamilton-Norwood Scale showing the progression of male pattern baldness and there was a rendering of exactly how his hair loss pattern looked! Steve's was only just thinning, and he kept his eye on it but maybe he didn't act soon enough. By the time he went to the doctor, you could see skin through the hair and it was becoming a bald spot.
The doctor started him on Rogaine for a topical Solution and the FDA-approved Propecia, the only oral medication to treat male hair loss. While he noticed the rest of his hair responding after a couple of months by becoming a little thicker, he didn't see any new growth or re-growth at the spot where he was losing his hair. Was he going to have to investigate hair replacement options' He could not bare the thought of wearing a toupee, because he imagined them to be like the one his grandfather wore back in the day, which didn't look natural.
Steve was not aware of how natural a state-of-the-art hair system can be! The doctor explained to him that the drugs only work on follicles that are alive. If the follicles are dead, then hair cannot be re-stimulated to grow. And since the rest of his hair was looking so good, buzzing it down bald was not an option for Steve, who was not ready to shave his head. Hair transplant surgery was also not an option for two reasons: One being its high cost and the second reason was that he was not sure how much more hair loss he would experience. A nonsurgical hair replacement solution like a hair system it would have to be.
He was hesitant to do his research about hair replacement. He had visions of himself wearing an ugly toupee that might fall off if he went swimming. Or how would that look if he had to take it off at night. He really wasn't sure if hair replacement was for him mainly because he had no idea what or how they did it!'? He looked in the phone book and was relieved to find three names close enough to get to in his city. He knew a treatment like that needs to be maintained so he was determined to find a studio that did good work. He was prepared to ask for client referrals and call each one up to ask if they were happy with the studio and whether or not they loved their hair systems. Steve was worried about all the bad things he'd heard about hair replacement and hair clubs. He definitely did not want to be taken advantage of and he definitely did not want to look unnatural or like he was hiding something. His hair system was going to have to be top of the line.
When he saw samples of the nonsurgical solutions for his particular condition he could not even believe how real these hair replacement systems looked. The bases were so thin and they hide the seams so well nowadays you could not even see anything was on his head. Steve was impressed. He asked to see clients so he could look up close and feel the hair. It was like real hair! He finally found a studio that made him feel secure ... they even offered private rooms for the maintenance appointments where they remove the system, clean it, replace any of the hair and reposition it.
No man wants his hair loss to be obvious and nowadays they have refined hair system construction from the base to the how the 100% virgin human hair is used and how they are attached using medical grade adhesives that you cannot tell the difference between a man wearing a hair system and one who is not. Hair replacement is just not the unnatural solution of years past. It has become state-of-the-art that can be styled any way you want, can expose the front hair line and is completely and totally undetectable to both sight and touch!
His hair wasn't receding much around his face, which was a relief to him. Instead it was forming a bald spot right on the top of his head. When he searched 'Male Hair Loss' on the Internet, he found illustrations of the Hamilton-Norwood Scale showing the progression of male pattern baldness and there was a rendering of exactly how his hair loss pattern looked! Steve's was only just thinning, and he kept his eye on it but maybe he didn't act soon enough. By the time he went to the doctor, you could see skin through the hair and it was becoming a bald spot.
The doctor started him on Rogaine for a topical Solution and the FDA-approved Propecia, the only oral medication to treat male hair loss. While he noticed the rest of his hair responding after a couple of months by becoming a little thicker, he didn't see any new growth or re-growth at the spot where he was losing his hair. Was he going to have to investigate hair replacement options' He could not bare the thought of wearing a toupee, because he imagined them to be like the one his grandfather wore back in the day, which didn't look natural.
Steve was not aware of how natural a state-of-the-art hair system can be! The doctor explained to him that the drugs only work on follicles that are alive. If the follicles are dead, then hair cannot be re-stimulated to grow. And since the rest of his hair was looking so good, buzzing it down bald was not an option for Steve, who was not ready to shave his head. Hair transplant surgery was also not an option for two reasons: One being its high cost and the second reason was that he was not sure how much more hair loss he would experience. A nonsurgical hair replacement solution like a hair system it would have to be.
He was hesitant to do his research about hair replacement. He had visions of himself wearing an ugly toupee that might fall off if he went swimming. Or how would that look if he had to take it off at night. He really wasn't sure if hair replacement was for him mainly because he had no idea what or how they did it!'? He looked in the phone book and was relieved to find three names close enough to get to in his city. He knew a treatment like that needs to be maintained so he was determined to find a studio that did good work. He was prepared to ask for client referrals and call each one up to ask if they were happy with the studio and whether or not they loved their hair systems. Steve was worried about all the bad things he'd heard about hair replacement and hair clubs. He definitely did not want to be taken advantage of and he definitely did not want to look unnatural or like he was hiding something. His hair system was going to have to be top of the line.
When he saw samples of the nonsurgical solutions for his particular condition he could not even believe how real these hair replacement systems looked. The bases were so thin and they hide the seams so well nowadays you could not even see anything was on his head. Steve was impressed. He asked to see clients so he could look up close and feel the hair. It was like real hair! He finally found a studio that made him feel secure ... they even offered private rooms for the maintenance appointments where they remove the system, clean it, replace any of the hair and reposition it.
No man wants his hair loss to be obvious and nowadays they have refined hair system construction from the base to the how the 100% virgin human hair is used and how they are attached using medical grade adhesives that you cannot tell the difference between a man wearing a hair system and one who is not. Hair replacement is just not the unnatural solution of years past. It has become state-of-the-art that can be styled any way you want, can expose the front hair line and is completely and totally undetectable to both sight and touch!
Nov 10, 2009
Chat with a HEART SPECIALIST.....
A chat with Dr.Devi Shetty (Heart Specialist),
Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore was arranged by WIPRO for its employees .
The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.
Qn: What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?
Ans:
1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil
2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control blood pressure and sugar
Qn: Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?
Ans: No
Qn: It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person
gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?
Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.
Qn: Are heart diseases hereditary?
Ans: Yes
Qn: What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?
Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.
Qn: Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?
Ans: Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints
Qn: You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?
Ans: Mother Theresa , who was my patient
Qn: Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?
Ans: Extremely rare
Qn: Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age
(I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?
Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.
Qn: How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?
Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.
Qn: How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?
Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.
Qn: Can yoga prevent heart ailments?
Ans: Yoga helps.
Qn: Which is the best and worst food for the heart?
Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.
Qn: Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?
Ans: All oils are bad .
Qn: What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?
Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.
Qn: What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?
Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position , place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.
Qn: How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?
Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.
Qn: What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.
Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents.. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.
Qn: Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?
Ans: Yes.
Qn: Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?
Ans : Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child
Qn: Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart ? What precautions would you recommend?
Ans : When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.
Qn: Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short / long term)?
Ans : Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti- hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.
Qn: Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?
Ans : No.
Qn: Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?
Ans : No.
Qn: How would you define junk food?
Ans : Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , samosas, and even masala dosas..
Qn: You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?
Ans: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.
Qn: Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?
Ans : No.
Qn: Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?
Ans : Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.
Qn: Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?
Ans : No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.
Qn: Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?
Ans : Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.
Qn: Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?
Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.
Qn: What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?
Ans : Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight.
Qn: Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?
i
Ans : No.
Qn: What are the modern anti- hypertensive drugs?
Ans : There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to
reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.
Qn: Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?
Ans : No.
Qn: Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?
Ans : Nature protects women till the age of 45.
Qn: How can one keep the heart in a good condition?
Ans : Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkup s if you are past the age of 30 ( once in six months recommended) ..
Jul 31, 2009
Coronary Artery Disease
Also called: CAD, Coronary arteriosclerosis, Coronary atherosclerosis
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. It is the leading cause of death in the United States in both men and women.
CAD happens when the arteries that supply blood to heart muscle become hardened and narrowed. This is due to the buildup of cholesterol and other material, called plaque, on their inner walls. As the buildup grows, less blood can flow through the arteries. As a result, the heart muscle can't get the blood or oxygen it needs. This can lead to chest pain ( angina) or a heart attack. Most heart attacks happen when a blood clot suddenly cuts off the hearts' blood supply, causing permanent heart damage.
Over time, CAD can also weaken the heart muscle and contribute to heart failure and arrhythmias. Heart failure means the heart can't pump blood well to the rest of the body. Arrhythmias are changes in the normal beating rhythm of the heart.
Angina
Angina is chest pain or discomfort you get when your heart muscle does not get enough blood. It may feel like pressure or a squeezing pain in your chest. It may feel like indigestion. You may also feel pain in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back.
Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common heart disease. CAD happens when a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, reducing blood flow.
There are three types of angina: stable, unstable and variant. Unstable angina is the most dangerous. It does not follow a pattern and can happen without physical exertion. It is does not go away with rest or medicine. It is a sign that you could have a heart attack soon.
Not all chest pain or discomfort is angina. If you have chest pain, you should see your health care provider.
Heart Attack
Also called: Also called: MI, Myocardial infarction
Each year over a million people in the U.S. have a heart attack. About half of them die. Many people have permanent heart damage or die because they don't get help immediately. It's important to know the symptoms of a heart attack and call 9-1-1 if someone is having them. Those symptoms include
Chest discomfort - pressure, squeezing, or pain
Shortness of breath
Discomfort in the upper body - arms, shoulder, neck, back
Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lightheadedness, sweating
These symptoms can sometimes be different in women.
What exactly is a heart attack? Most heart attacks happen when a clot in the coronary artery blocks the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart. Often this leads to an irregular heartbeat – called an arrhythmia - that causes a severe decrease in the pumping function of the heart. A blockage that is not treated within a few hours causes the affected heart muscle to die.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Also called: Also called: Bypass surgery, CABG, Coronary artery bypass graft
If you have coronary artery disease (CAD), the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart muscle become hardened and narrowed. If lifestyle changes and medicines don't help, your doctor may recommend coronary artery bypass surgery.
The surgery uses a piece of a vein from the leg or artery from the chest or wrist. The surgeon attaches this to the coronary artery above and below the narrowed area or blockage. This allows blood to bypass the blockage. Some people need more than one bypass.
You may need bypass surgery for various reasons. Another procedure for CAD, angioplasty, may not have widened the artery enough. In some cases, the angioplasty tube can't reach the blockage.
A bypass also can close again. This happens in more than 10 percent of bypass surgeries, usually after 10 or more years.
Stent Procedure
What is a stent and how is one used?
A stent is a wire metal mesh tube used to prop open an artery during angioplasty. The stent is collapsed to a small diameter and put over a balloon catheter. It's then moved into the area of the blockage. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands, locks in place and forms a scaffold. This holds the artery open. The stent stays in the artery permanently, holds it open, improves blood flow to the heart muscle and relieves symptoms (usually chest pain). Within a few weeks of the time the stent was placed, the inside lining of the artery (the endothelium) grows over the metal surface of the stent.
When are stents used?
Stents are used depending on certain features of the artery blockage. This includes the size of the artery and where the blockage is. Stenting is a fairly common procedure; in fact, over 70 percent of coronary angioplasty procedures also include stenting.
What are the advantages of using a stent?
In certain patients, stents reduce the renarrowing that occurs after balloon angioplasty or other procedures that use catheters. Stents also help restore normal blood flow and keep an artery open if it's been torn or injured by the balloon catheter.
Can stented arteries reclose?
Yes. Reclosure (restenosis) is also a problem with the stent procedure. In recent years doctors have used new types of stents called drug-eluting stents. These are coated with drugs that are slowly released and help keep the blood vessel from reclosing. Stents that are not coated with drugs are called bare metal stents. As detailed below, it is very important that patients with either type of stent take their anti-clotting medicines as directed.
What precautions should be taken after a stent procedure?
Patients who've had a stent procedure must take one or more blood-thinning agents. Examples are aspirin and clopidogrel. These medications help reduce the risk of a blood clot developing in the stent and blocking the artery. Some recent studies have suggested that blood clots may develop later on (more than a year after stent placement) in the drug-eluting stents. Therefore it is really important to stay on your medications as long as your cardiologist recommends. Aspirin is usually recommended for life, and clopidogrel is generally used for one to 12 months (depending on the type of stent) after the procedure. Clopidogrel can cause side effects, so blood tests will be done periodically. If you are taking this medication, it is important that you don't stop taking it for any reason without consulting your cardiologist who has been treating your coronary artery disease..
For the next four weeks a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan should not be done without a cardiologist's approval. But metal detectors don't affect the stent.
Also called: CAD, Coronary arteriosclerosis, Coronary atherosclerosis
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. It is the leading cause of death in the United States in both men and women.
CAD happens when the arteries that supply blood to heart muscle become hardened and narrowed. This is due to the buildup of cholesterol and other material, called plaque, on their inner walls. As the buildup grows, less blood can flow through the arteries. As a result, the heart muscle can't get the blood or oxygen it needs. This can lead to chest pain ( angina) or a heart attack. Most heart attacks happen when a blood clot suddenly cuts off the hearts' blood supply, causing permanent heart damage.
Over time, CAD can also weaken the heart muscle and contribute to heart failure and arrhythmias. Heart failure means the heart can't pump blood well to the rest of the body. Arrhythmias are changes in the normal beating rhythm of the heart.
Angina
Angina is chest pain or discomfort you get when your heart muscle does not get enough blood. It may feel like pressure or a squeezing pain in your chest. It may feel like indigestion. You may also feel pain in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back.
Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common heart disease. CAD happens when a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, reducing blood flow.
There are three types of angina: stable, unstable and variant. Unstable angina is the most dangerous. It does not follow a pattern and can happen without physical exertion. It is does not go away with rest or medicine. It is a sign that you could have a heart attack soon.
Not all chest pain or discomfort is angina. If you have chest pain, you should see your health care provider.
Heart Attack
Also called: Also called: MI, Myocardial infarction
Each year over a million people in the U.S. have a heart attack. About half of them die. Many people have permanent heart damage or die because they don't get help immediately. It's important to know the symptoms of a heart attack and call 9-1-1 if someone is having them. Those symptoms include
Chest discomfort - pressure, squeezing, or pain
Shortness of breath
Discomfort in the upper body - arms, shoulder, neck, back
Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lightheadedness, sweating
These symptoms can sometimes be different in women.
What exactly is a heart attack? Most heart attacks happen when a clot in the coronary artery blocks the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart. Often this leads to an irregular heartbeat – called an arrhythmia - that causes a severe decrease in the pumping function of the heart. A blockage that is not treated within a few hours causes the affected heart muscle to die.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Also called: Also called: Bypass surgery, CABG, Coronary artery bypass graft
If you have coronary artery disease (CAD), the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart muscle become hardened and narrowed. If lifestyle changes and medicines don't help, your doctor may recommend coronary artery bypass surgery.
The surgery uses a piece of a vein from the leg or artery from the chest or wrist. The surgeon attaches this to the coronary artery above and below the narrowed area or blockage. This allows blood to bypass the blockage. Some people need more than one bypass.
You may need bypass surgery for various reasons. Another procedure for CAD, angioplasty, may not have widened the artery enough. In some cases, the angioplasty tube can't reach the blockage.
A bypass also can close again. This happens in more than 10 percent of bypass surgeries, usually after 10 or more years.
Stent Procedure
What is a stent and how is one used?
A stent is a wire metal mesh tube used to prop open an artery during angioplasty. The stent is collapsed to a small diameter and put over a balloon catheter. It's then moved into the area of the blockage. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands, locks in place and forms a scaffold. This holds the artery open. The stent stays in the artery permanently, holds it open, improves blood flow to the heart muscle and relieves symptoms (usually chest pain). Within a few weeks of the time the stent was placed, the inside lining of the artery (the endothelium) grows over the metal surface of the stent.
When are stents used?
Stents are used depending on certain features of the artery blockage. This includes the size of the artery and where the blockage is. Stenting is a fairly common procedure; in fact, over 70 percent of coronary angioplasty procedures also include stenting.
What are the advantages of using a stent?
In certain patients, stents reduce the renarrowing that occurs after balloon angioplasty or other procedures that use catheters. Stents also help restore normal blood flow and keep an artery open if it's been torn or injured by the balloon catheter.
Can stented arteries reclose?
Yes. Reclosure (restenosis) is also a problem with the stent procedure. In recent years doctors have used new types of stents called drug-eluting stents. These are coated with drugs that are slowly released and help keep the blood vessel from reclosing. Stents that are not coated with drugs are called bare metal stents. As detailed below, it is very important that patients with either type of stent take their anti-clotting medicines as directed.
What precautions should be taken after a stent procedure?
Patients who've had a stent procedure must take one or more blood-thinning agents. Examples are aspirin and clopidogrel. These medications help reduce the risk of a blood clot developing in the stent and blocking the artery. Some recent studies have suggested that blood clots may develop later on (more than a year after stent placement) in the drug-eluting stents. Therefore it is really important to stay on your medications as long as your cardiologist recommends. Aspirin is usually recommended for life, and clopidogrel is generally used for one to 12 months (depending on the type of stent) after the procedure. Clopidogrel can cause side effects, so blood tests will be done periodically. If you are taking this medication, it is important that you don't stop taking it for any reason without consulting your cardiologist who has been treating your coronary artery disease..
For the next four weeks a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan should not be done without a cardiologist's approval. But metal detectors don't affect the stent.
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