What does stent mean?
A stent is a small medical device placed inside the body to hold a passage open. It is most commonly inserted into a narrowed blood vessel, including an artery supplying the heart, to improve blood flow and reduce the risk of further blockage. Some stents are permanent and may gradually become incorporated into the vessel wall, while others are temporary. A drug-eluting stent releases medicine that helps prevent the vessel from narrowing again. The word is mainly used in medical and technical contexts, and discussions of stents often concern their placement, effectiveness, possible complications, or long-term maintenance. Outside medicine, the word can occasionally refer to similar devices used to support or maintain an opening, although this usage is much less common.
nounA small, flexible or rigid tube-like device placed inside the body, commonly in a blood vessel, to keep an opening from narrowing or closing. Stents may remain permanently in place or be designed for temporary use.
- A small tube-like device inserted into a blood vessel or other passage in the body to keep it open and maintain the flow of fluid.
- A device used in medicine to support or maintain the opening of a narrowed or blocked passage, especially in the heart, kidneys, or other blood vessels.
"The surgeon placed a stent in the patient's narrowed artery to improve blood flow."
"A drug-eluting stent was inserted to prevent the artery from narrowing again."
"The patient's stent remained in place after the procedure to keep the airway open."
The plural is used routinely when referring to multiple implanted devices or to the different types of stent available.
"The hospital has implanted hundreds of coronary stents this year."
A stent can hold open a narrowed artery like a tiny tunnel, helping keep blood flowing to the heart.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stent come from?
The modern medical sense belongs to the vocabulary of modern surgery and biomedical engineering. The word also has older and less common uses in English associated with support, rigidity, or a narrow strip, reflecting its broader historical development from a word concerned with firmness or resistance. Its precise ancient origin is not sufficiently certain to state as a definite etymology.
How stent is actually used
The term is chiefly medical and technical. In general usage, it is usually countable and commonly used in expressions such as 'coronary stent' and 'stent placement.'