UF Health's Interventional Cardiology Program has pioneered the field of stent development, with access to all the latest technologies in the field, including new generation drug-eluting stents, which are coated with a slow-release medication to help prevent blood clots.

Coronary artery stent: What to expect

Our physicians use the latest minimally invasive methods, which means safer procedures and faster recoveries for you. Through a small incision, a catheter is guided along the artery and used to advance the coronary artery stents to the site of the blockage in the heart artery. The stent is a metallic scaffold that is mounted on a balloon and inflated, expanding the stent. The balloon is then removed, and the expanded stent remains in the heart artery, keeping it open at the site of the blockage. There are many types of stents available.