By definition, a stent is a metal or plastic device inserted into an abnormally narrowed or closed conduit (such as an artery or duct) in the body. It serves to keep the conduit open and maintain flow. Each year, about 1 million people have heart stents inserted. A review of the procedure is provided by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
UPMC Managing Your Health (11/2006)
Regenerative Medicine Today podcast recently featured the research of Dr. Robert Eberhart and his colleagues. He and his team are pursuing to bring to clinical practice a radically different design of an intravascular stent. Dr. Eberhart is a Professor, Department of Engineering in Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern. Listen to his interview on the subject.
Podcast #26 (01/2007)
Illustration: McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
To read more news on the public health issue of heart bypass and stents and the debate surrounding them, please see…
MSNBC (12/04/06)
ABC News(03/24/07)
USA Today (03/24/07)
WebMD (03/27/07)
WABC 7 On Call (05/08/07)