Are our cardiac stents impacted by plastics?
Are cardiac stents metal or plastic?
AI Overview:
The Surprising History of the Coronary Stent
Heart stents are primarily metal, though biodegradable plastic and other polymer-based stents are also used, with the type depending on the specific medical need.
Traditional stents are made of a metal mesh to hold open a blocked artery, while drug-eluting stents have a drug-releasing coating to prevent re-narrowing.
Biodegradable stents, on the other hand, are temporary and are absorbed by the body over several months.
Stent wise I have had all of the above. Um what happens to the biodegradable ones. Maybe they decompose into microplastics.
The wear parts like my knee and hip joints are made with a UHMW polyethylene. As they wear I’m sure there are little shavings getting into the blood stream. I’ll take mobility rather than freedom from plastic.