Balloon angioplasties are often the first method of treating artery disease, because they are often successful in enlarging the opening of an obstructed artery. But in some cases, the artery may close again, and if so, the surgeon may choose to perform another angioplasty and place a stent within the artery to keep it open. In some patients whose arteries are likely to narrow again, the doctor may place the stent during the first procedure, ideally eliminating the need for another procedure.

The stent is a tiny wire mesh tube that braces the opening of an artery from the inside. Stents are usually placed in any key artery, including those of the heart, kidneys, and the internal carotids, which supply blood to the brain.

During the procedure, an unexpanded stent is slipped over the deflated balloon on the catheter that is threaded into the femoral artery (in the patient's thigh). When the doctor has inserted the catheter to the site of the obstruction, he inflates the balloon, causing the stent to expand. The physician then removes the balloon, leaving the open stent in place and allowing blood to once again flow freely through the artery.