Risks of the procedure

There are risks involved in any procedure, particularly one involving the heart. Thankfully, the risks for this procedure are small, but nevertheless important.

There is a chance that the balloon and stent may damage the inside of the artery, causing it to tear or block, and this may cause a heart attack. The chance of this happening is about 1% or 2% (1 to 2 people in 100). And about 0.3% of people (1 in 300) will need an emergency bypass operation to treat this. Clearly these are serious problems and we know that about 0.5% of all patients (1 in 200) do not survive these sorts of complications. Medication is given to you before and during the procedure to reduce the risks as much as possible.

There is a small chance (about 2%) that you might develop a complication in the groin. This usually amounts to bruising which will go if you rest. In a small number of cases, a minor operation is needed if there is a larger bruise with a collection of blood (haematoma).

In the first three months after the procedure there is a chance that the artery may narrow again or even block.  This happens in about 20% of cases, and only 3% to 4% of patients will need another stent. Medication like aspirin and clopidogrel will help prevent narrowing and blockages.

As technology improves, there are newer stents which have reduced the risk of further narrowing to only about 5% of patients, with even fewer needing a further stent.

If  you develop chest pain during the first weeks after leaving hospital, you should get medical advice.