Saudi- Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Center starts using smart stents 

(MENAFN - Arab News) Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Center has recently begun using coronary stents in heart operations which melt asutomatically to expand the arteries.

"A 63-year-old patient came to the emergency section with a heart clot. He was the first patient to have such an operation," said Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Kurdi, head of the cardiology center at SAMC.

Dr. Kurdi pointed out that these coronary stents start melting after six months and completely disappear after the patient's recovery. The new coronary stents are made of magnesium, a substance naturally found in the human body, which lessens chemical reactions between the patient's body and the stent as happens with traditional metal stents.

"The main aim of therapeutic stents operations is to expand the arteries and prevent any blockage from reoccurring. This new magnesium stent substantially succeeded in achieving that goal," explained Dr. Kurdi. He also said that the new stents lessen the possibility of future clots. They are also useful for younger patients because they provide more options for future treatment.

Dr. Kurdi mentioned that the magnesium stent is capable of adapting itself to sharp bends in arteries which gives the artery high flexibility to return to its natural position. It also gives the patient new opportunities to expand the artery by using another stent in the same artery and preventing restenosis, which is a narrowing of a blood vessel. Moreover it reduces the need for long-term medication for increasing liquidity and reducing the likelihood of complications in the future.