Venous stenting
What are venous stents and what is their role?
Article written by: Dr. Jerôme Cau
Medical Procedures
- Cholecystectomy
- Hernia
- Limfadenectomy
- Esophageal Tumor Resection
Conditions Treated
Abdominal Conditions
- Gallbladder Disease
- Tumors of the Stomach, Liver, Pancreas
- Intestinal Pathologies
Pelvic and Perineal Conditions
- Rectal, Utero-Vaginal Prolapse
- Perineal Corrections
Other Conditions Treated
- Thyroid
- Abdominal Lymphadenectomies
- Esophageal Tumors
- Gallbladder Disease
- Tumors of the Stomach, Liver, Pancreas
- Intestinal Pathologies
- Rectal, Utero-Vaginal Prolapse
- Perineal Corrections
- Thyroid
- Abdominal Lymphadenectomies
- Esophageal Tumors
What are venous stents?
Venous stents are metal mesh tubes designed to open narrowed or blocked vein walls. They act like scaffolding to keep the veins open. In most cases, surgeons place vein stents in larger, central veins, such as those found in the legs, chest or abdomen.
What conditions are treated with vein stents?
Chronic blood clots or other conditions that compress or narrow veins, restricting blood flow, are the most common health problems for which your doctor may recommend venous stenting.
At VenArt Clinic, our doctors use vein stents to treat conditions such as: chronic deep vein thrombosis.
It’s a blood clot in one of the large, deep veins that reduces the amount of blood getting from your leg (sometimes your arm) to your heart and lungs.
Post-thrombotic syndrome
This syndrome can damage veins. In this case, you may experience problems such as swelling of the affected limbs and chronic pain. If you have suffered from deep vein thrombosis, it may take years before you experience symptoms of post-thrombotic syndrome.
May-Thurner syndrome
Because of this condition, the right iliac artery (the artery that connects the abdomen to the right leg) presses on the left iliac vein (the artery that connects the abdomen to the left leg). Because of this pressure, the left iliac artery becomes narrowed and scarred, leading to chronic left leg swelling, pain and fatigue.
Nutcracker syndrome
This condition causes the arteries near the kidney to compress the left renal vein (the vein that connects to the left kidney), and blood flows backwards causing flank pain (the left side of the abdominal wall, between the last rib and the hip) and blood in the urine.
Hemodialysis/arteriovenous fistulas:
If you are doing hemodialysis and and your grafts or fistulas are experiencing decreased blood flow, your doctor may sometimes recommend venous stents. The stent also opens up the central veins in your chest, which helps with drainage for dialysis access.
How to prepare for the venous stenting procedure
Your vascular surgery doctor will take your medical history, perform a physical exam, and, if needed, may order images or other tests, such as an ultrasound, so that your doctor has a clear picture of the structure of your blood vessels to pinpoint any narrowing or blockage. You may also be asked to have a venogram, which is an X-ray that allows your doctor to see the anatomy of your veins.
How the venous stent procedure is performed
Moderate sedation is sufficient for your doctor to place the venous stents. However, if he or she notices a clot or other obstruction in your veins, he or she may first opt for angioplasty before placing the stent.
An angioplasty is a minimally invasive medical procedure in which blocked or narrowed veins (or arteries) are widened.
After discussing everything, your doctor will perform the following processes during venous angioplasty.
He or she will insert a needle into a vein in your groin or behind your knee, depending on the vein that needs stenting, then insert a guide wire and pass a catheter sheath over it, followed by a guiding catheter through the sheath.
After that, the doctor, will use fluoroscopy (x-ray guidance) to guide the catheter to where the vein is narrowed or blocked, and then advance a balloon-tipped catheter to where the vein is narrowed or blocked. That balloon will inflate and deflate it as many times as needed until your narrowed or blocked vein widens.
Then, to place the venous stent, your doctor will remove the balloon that was used for the angioplasty and insert a catheter with a closed stent on it and place it into the vein. The stent will push out the walls of the vein, which is, in effect, a support to keep it open. Finally, he or she will remove the catheters and apply pressure to the needle site to close the wound.
How long is the hospitalization and recovery after the stenting procedure?
Recovery after angioplasty and stenting is usually short. Hospital discharge usually occurs 12-24 hours after the catheter is removed. Many patients can return to work within a few days to a week after a procedure.
Why choose VenArt Clinic for a venous stent?
At Clinica VenArt, we are experts in vascular pathology, we can offer you from minimally invasive arterial and venous treatments to the usual classic procedures such as carotid operations , our doctors have decades of experience and have specialized in renowned clinics in Europe and the USA.
If venous stenting is not the best option for you, we will recommend other treatments more suited to your needs.
If you would like a consultation, do not hesitate to contact us.