Can you expect to live a long life after a stent is placed?

How long patients may live after having surgery for a coronary stent depends on their age, their prior medical history, and their overall health, states Dr. Charanjit Rihal in an article for ABC News. A younger person with an otherwise healthy heart may live a full lifespan after surgery.

Elderly people and those with weak hearts from disease and prior surgeries may not live longer by having an angioplasty and a stent inserted, explains Dr. Rihal. They may benefit from the surgery anyway because it may increase the quality of life, if not the length, by decreasing pain and improving a patient's well-being.