Definition of restenosis
Updated December 01, 2014.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Definition:
Restenosis is the name given to the gradual formation of new blockages within an artery, after the artery has been treated with angioplasty or stenting.
Restenosis is caused by the growth of new tissue at the site of angioplasty, or over a stent that has been placed at the site of angioplasty. The new tissue growth can narrow the blood vessel, reversing much or all of the benefit that was achieved by angioplasty/stenting.
Most typically, restenosis is recognized when angina returns because of this narrowing.
When restenosis occurs, it is usually seen between 3 and 12 months after the original procedure. Restenosis is usually treated by repeat angioplasty/stenting.
Stents were developed in order to reduce the incidence of restenosis that occurred after angioplasty, and even the earliest stents were modestly successful in doing so. Drug-eluting stents (DES) were developed to further reduce the risk of restenosis that was still seen with bare metal stents (BMS). (DES are coated with drugs that inhibit tissue growth over the stent).
Restenosis is different from stent thrombosis, which is the formation of a blood clot at the site of a stent.
You can read more about restenosis here.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Definition:
Restenosis is the name given to the gradual formation of new blockages within an artery, after the artery has been treated with angioplasty or stenting.
Restenosis is caused by the growth of new tissue at the site of angioplasty, or over a stent that has been placed at the site of angioplasty. The new tissue growth can narrow the blood vessel, reversing much or all of the benefit that was achieved by angioplasty/stenting.
Most typically, restenosis is recognized when angina returns because of this narrowing.
When restenosis occurs, it is usually seen between 3 and 12 months after the original procedure. Restenosis is usually treated by repeat angioplasty/stenting.
Stents were developed in order to reduce the incidence of restenosis that occurred after angioplasty, and even the earliest stents were modestly successful in doing so. Drug-eluting stents (DES) were developed to further reduce the risk of restenosis that was still seen with bare metal stents (BMS). (DES are coated with drugs that inhibit tissue growth over the stent).
Restenosis is different from stent thrombosis, which is the formation of a blood clot at the site of a stent.
You can read more about restenosis here.