Coronary stents are positioned in your coronary artery to permanently hold the artery open. A balloon-tipped catheter is positioned at the narrow part of the artery and then inflated to compress the plaque against the artery wall. The catheter is then removed. Tell your cardiologist if you experience chest discomfort at this time. The stent is placed on another balloon catheter and expanded in the same area to hold the artery open and to help reduce the rate of restenosis, or renarrowing of the artery. New tissue will eventually grow over the stent and completely cover it.

Preparation and recovery for both DCA and coronary stents are similar to what happens before and after coronary angioplasty.