Stent surgery

  • No.1 in the UK for private cardiac care 
  • Appointments in as little as 24 hours  
  • 99% of our cardiac patients would recommend us to friends and family 
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STENT SURGERY AT HCA UK

Why choose us?

As the UK’s No.1 for private cardiac care, we look after more patients than any other UK private healthcare provider. That means we have the experience and the expertise to deliver exceptional care for our patients, from the most common stent procedure to complex cardiac care.

Within our first-class facilities for stent surgery, you can be confident you'll be in the safest of hands. That’s why, of the 26,000 people we help every year, 99% say they’d recommend us to family and friends.

A stent is a small, expandable metal mesh tube that can be inserted into narrowed arteries to restore blood flow. This is usually done to treat coronary artery disease (CAD) caused by the build-up of fatty plaque. 

When a stent is inserted during a coronary angioplasty, this is known as a percutaneous coronary intervention or PCI. It can be used in an emergency, if someone is having a heart attack, or as a preventative measure.

If you think you might need a heart stent procedure, our leading multidisciplinary team (MDT) can offer you the personalised care you need within our expert private network. We’re the UK’s leading private provider of PCI care, trusted by more patients than any other hospital group.

If you have plaque build-up inside your artery, this can restrict blood flow to the heart. This condition is called coronary heart disease (CHD) which can cause chest pain. it can also cause a blood clot or a heart attack. 

Most people find out they have heart disease when they have a heart attack. If you have angina or are having a heart attack, you might need to have a stent fitted. Some of the symptoms of a heart attack include:

  • Weakness, light-headedness or nausea
  • Cold sweats
  • Chest pain or discomfort
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain in the arms or shoulder

It's important to know that not all cases of coronary artery disease can be fixed with private stent surgery. Your cardiologist will let you know whether a cardiac stenting procedure is right for you. 

 

In some instances, it's possible to treat and control symptoms of coronary artery disease with medications. Your consultant will discuss the options with you.

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200+

specialist consultants to choose from

500+

Stent (PCI) procedures performed every year

99%

success rate for heart bypass surgery

Next-day appointments

See a specialist and get on the path to an expert diagnosis within 24 hours

State-of-the-art diagnostics

With results in as little as 48 hours

Wide-reaching expertise across the UK

Visit any one of 15 dedicated diagnostic centres in London, Manchester and Birmingham

The stent surgery process

What to expect
From the moment you step through the door, until you’re ready to leave, we want you to feel as comfortable and reassured as possible. 

One of the ways we can put you at ease is to let you know what to expect at each stage. 

If you have any questions that aren’t answered here, or in the FAQ section below, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our team will be happy to help in any way they can.
 

01

Initial consultation

Whether you’ve self-referred or have a referral from a GP, the first step will be an initial consultation to find out more about your health, medical history, symptoms and lifestyle.

02

Investigations and diagnosis

During your initial appointment, your consultant will also carry out diagnostic tests to gain a better picture of your overall heart health and any heart conditions. This might include:

 

 

Once they’ve confirmed a diagnosis, our specialists will put together the most effective treatment plan for you. This might include stent surgery. 

03

Stent procedure

A coronary stent procedure normally lasts between 30 minutes and two hours, but it can occasionally take longer. The procedure takes place in a specialised ‘cath lab’ and you can have painkillers or sedatives if you need them.

 

Your consultant will carefully insert a small tube into your artery and pass the stent into the area of the blockage. Before your procedure, you'll be given further information including: 

 

  • When to stop eating and drinking
  • Which medications to take or avoid
  • When to arrive at the hospital and where to go
  • How long you'll need to stay in hospital 
  • What to expect after the procedure 
  • Lifestyle advice and information about living with a stent 

 

04

Follow up

After your heart stent surgery, you'll be taken to a recovery room for observation. You'll need to arrange for someone to take you home after your procedure. This is usually the same day or after a few days if you need further monitoring. You'll be provided with pain relief medication if you need it. 

05

Ongoing maintenance

Once you're home, you'll need to monitor your pain levels and keep an eye on the insertion site to check for unusual pain, swelling or discolouration beyond a small bruise. Our team is here to support you through your stent surgery and recovery, so you will be in safe hands at every stage. 

Where can I have my stent surgery?

Across our extensive network of hospitals and treatment centres, we have more than 200 expert cardiovascular consultants who can help you, from initial consultation through to surgery and recovery. You’ll be able to have your stent procedure at the following locations:
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The Harley Street Clinic

35 Weymouth Street  W1G 8BJ London
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The Wellington Hospital

Wellington Place St John's Wood NW8 9LE London
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London Bridge Hospital

27 Tooley Street SE1 2PR London
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The Harborne Hospital

Mindelsohn Way B15 2FQ Birmingham

Accessing private health care

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Self-pay

You don’t need health insurance to be seen quickly. If you’re looking for a diagnosis or treatment and don’t want to wait, all our private healthcare services – from private GP appointments through to surgery and aftercare – can be paid for as and when you need them. 
 
And to give you peace of mind from the start, we’ll offer you a clear and transparent quote outlining exactly what’s included in your self-pay package.

Book an appointment

Cardiac stent surgery FAQs

During your stent procedure:

  • Your consultant will ask you to lie on an X-ray table and you will be linked up to a heart rate monitor and given a local anaesthetic. You'll have an intravenous line in case you need painkillers or sedatives during your medical stent procedure.
  • Once you're comfortable, your cardiologists will start the coronary stent procedure. They'll make a small puncture in your groin, wrist or arm to insert a small tube into your artery.
  • A catheter is passed through the tube and guided along the artery before a thin wire is passed to the narrowed area.
  • Once the thin wire is in place, a tiny oblong balloon is passed over the wire and inflated to squash fatty deposits on the inner walls of the artery. This widens the artery and can be repeated multiple times. You might feel discomfort as the balloon is inflated. This is normal.
  • Your stent will be fitted onto the balloon and will open as the balloon inflates. When the balloon is deflated and removed, the stent is left inside your artery.
  • Once your stent is fitted, your consultant will make sure your artery is wide enough for blood to flow. This is done by monitoring contrast dye as it flows through the artery.

We offer complex PCIs, too. These are usually used to treat multiple arteries or severely blocked arteries so take a little bit longer than the standard procedure. To do this, we might use additional surgical and imaging methods including endovascular ultrasounds or rotablades to make sure your arteries are working efficiently.

If you have coronary heart disease, having a stent inserted can help to improve blood flow and reduce your risk of major heart conditions such as heart attack. This type of procedure can produce immediate relief from symptoms. It can also be used as an emergency treatment if you’re having a heart attack.

Heart stent operations are a common cardiac treatment. As your consultant doesn't need to make large incisions to fit a stent, it's deemed a safe cardiac procedure for most people. This surgery is regarded as minimally invasive, so you'll normally be awake during your coronary angioplasty

Stent surgery is generally a safe procedure. Some potential complications include:

  • Bleeding or bruising around the area where the catheter is inserted
  • Blood clots within the stents 
  • Infection around the incision

Before you decide to go ahead with stent surgery, your consultant will discuss the potential risks and benefits with you so you can make an informed decision. We conduct over 500 of these procedures every year as the UK’s top private cardiac care provider, so you’re in safe hands with us. 

Before your procedure, you’ll be given further information about how to prepare for the procedure, including: 

  • When to stop eating and drinking
  • Which medications to take or avoid
  • When to arrive at the hospital and where to go
  • How long you'll need to stay in hospital 
  • What to expect after the procedure 
  • Lifestyle advice and information about living with a stent

You'll also need to arrange for someone to take you home after your procedure. This is usually the same day or after a few days if you need further monitoring.

The different types of stent include: 

  • Drug-eluting stents (DES): This type of mesh heart stent is coated in slow-release medication to reduce the risk of a blood clot forming. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends using these stents if the affected section of the artery is less than 3mm wide or longer than 15mm. This is due to the risk of re-narrowing being higher in these cases. 
  • Drug-eluting balloons (DEB): This is a stent that can be used to open and keep open a coronary artery that's been narrowed by arteriosclerosis. This condition occurs when arteries become narrowed and hardened.

Your consultant will let you know which type of stent is best for you as part of your initial consultation.

Our patients' stories

Most of the angioplasty that we do is done on a day-case basis. Patients often experience a dramatic symptomatic relief – and most do very well in the long run

Dr Jonathan Hill - Consultant Interventional Cardiologist

This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.