In most cases the procedure improves blood flow through the artery, but in some cases the stent can become narrowed over time and limit the blood flow – a condition known as restenosis.
The risks of the treatment grow with age as the arteries get thicker, and in 90-year-old patients like Prince Philip there is the risk the catheter may not be able to pass through the artery, or the balloon may not be able to force it open.
There is also a slight risk of patients having a heart attack or stroke, particularly if they are not in good health to begin with, and in about one in 1,000 cases the treatment totally blocks the artery resulting in urgent bypass surgery.
Following the procedure, patients are usually allowed to return home on the same or the following day, but those who have the procedure as an emergency usually stay for longer.
Doctors advise that patients avoid any strenuous activity for at least a week, and prescribe blood thinning drugs to lower the risk of clots forming around the stent.
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