New insights into coronary stent thrombosis

Despite the low incidence of blood clot formation in a stent – a tube of metal mesh with the appearance of chicken wire, which is placed in the main coronary arteries – it has major consequences for patients. Patients receive anticoagulants to prevent this complication from occurring or recurring. Patients with this complication who have already been using anticoagulants show a poor response to their current anticoagulant therapy. Therefore, they also need a loading dose of anticoagulants. Imaging inside the blood vessel has shown that the stent not expanding properly or lying against the blood vessel are common causes of this complication. Optimising stent placement may further reduce the frequency of this complication.