Short answer: A stent is a small metal mesh that keeps a heart artery open after angioplasty. Cardiologist Dr. Dipankar Ghosh Dastidar said today’s drug-eluting stents are meant to stay for life, need no routine replacement, and, as he put it in the session, should not stop you from flying, clearing airport security or having an MRI scan. Your own cardiologist should still clear your travel and scans.
“I’ve just had a stent. Will it set off the airport scanner? Can I ever have an MRI? Does it need changing later?”
After angioplasty, many families leave the hospital with a stent card and a list of worries. Some of the biggest are practical ones: travel, scans, and whether this small piece of metal will cause trouble later. For the bigger picture, see our guide to angioplasty and stents.
In our Dil Ke Doubts session on angioplasty and stents, Heart Health India Foundation founder Ram Khandelwal, who had his own heart attack at 33, asked these questions of cardiologist Dr. Dipankar Ghosh Dastidar, Professor and Head, Department of Cardiology, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital; EC Member, Cardiological Society of India (East Zone).
This article is based on the questions and answers in Dil Ke Doubts Webinar 12 (18 Sep 2026), part of Heart Health India Foundation’s World Heart Month 2026 series with the Cardiological Society of India and the World Heart Federation‘s Don’t Miss a Beat campaign.
The session was in Hindi. Here’s what he told us, in plain words.
What exactly is a stent?
Dr. Ghosh Dastidar described a stent as a metal scaffold, a small mesh, placed inside the artery. Angioplasty is the procedure in which the narrowed artery is cleaned and opened, for example with a balloon. After that, there is a risk that the artery closes again. The stent is left inside to stop the vessel from collapsing and getting blocked again.
Bare-metal or drug-eluting: what’s the difference?
A stent with only the metal mesh is a bare-metal stent. A stent coated with a medicine is a drug-eluting stent (DES). He explained that the medicine stops tissue from growing inside the stent, which keeps the artery open for longer. That is why, he said, a drug-eluting stent is now the preferred choice in angioplasty.
Why did doctors move to drug-eluting stents?
He walked us through how the treatment changed over time:
- Balloon only: at first, angioplasty used only a balloon. Sometimes the artery closed again quickly, even on the same day.
- Bare-metal stents: so a metal scaffold was added. But the stent itself injures the vessel wall, and too much tissue grew back. Within six months to two years, the artery could narrow again inside the stent (restenosis).
- Drug-eluting stents: putting a medicine on the metal platform slows this tissue regrowth. This is today’s stent of choice.
Does a stent ever need to be replaced?
No. He said that once a stent is deployed, it is meant to last for life. It stays inside, and there is no need to replace it. That is the main aim of angioplasty with a drug-eluting stent.
Are Indian stents as good as international ones?
Dr. Ghosh Dastidar said most companies now make third-generation stents. These have very thin struts (the metal wires), so there is much less metal left inside, while still having good radial force (the strength to expand fully and press against the artery wall). They also bend well to follow curves in the artery. In his words in the session, Indian stent quality is very good and on par with international standards; he said there is no real difference between them.
On the medicine coating, he said sirolimus, an anti-proliferative drug, is the most commonly used, with everolimus in some stents. Paclitaxel was used in older stents.
Can I fly or go through airport security with a stent?
When Ram asked whether a stent interferes with airport security or an MRI, and whether patients need to tell anyone, Dr. Ghosh Dastidar answered: “No, not at all.” He said:
- you can take a flight even the day after getting a stent, and clear airport security
- the amount of metal in a modern stent is very small
- most stent platforms in use today are non-magnetic
He added that you need not inform anyone about the stent for security. Before you travel, it is still sensible to check your own fitness to fly with your cardiologist, especially soon after a heart attack. Our guide to heart-healthy travel and daily life has more practical tips.
Is an MRI scan safe with a stent?
He said a stent does not interfere with an MRI. MRI interference is more of a concern with pacemakers or larger devices, not stents. Around 2010 there used to be a caution to be careful until the stent was fully covered by the artery’s inner lining (endothelialisation). With today’s thin-strut third-generation stents, he said, this is not a problem, and 1.5 Tesla and 3 Tesla MRI scans are now comfortable with a stent.
Always tell the scan centre and your doctor about any implant or device you have; they will check what applies to you.
What you can do next
- If you have chest pain, breathlessness or sweating after a stent, don’t wait. Call 112 or go to the nearest hospital.
- Keep your stent card (or a photo of it) with you, so any doctor or scan centre can see what was placed.
- Before a flight or a scan, check with your cardiologist, who knows your full case.
- Keep taking your medicines as prescribed. Our post on what most families misunderstand after angioplasty explains why, and cardiac rehabilitation can help you return to normal life.
- Explore more sessions on our Dil Ke Doubts World Heart Month 2026 page.
Frequently asked questions
Dr. Dipankar Ghosh Dastidar described it as a metal scaffold, a small mesh, placed in the artery after angioplasty to stop the vessel collapsing and getting blocked again.
It is a stent coated with a medicine that stops tissue growing inside it, so the artery stays open for longer. He said it is now the preferred choice in angioplasty.
No. He said a stent, once deployed, is meant to last for life and does not need replacing.
In the session he said yes: you can fly even the next day and clear airport security, because modern stents contain very little metal and are mostly non-magnetic. Check your own fitness to fly with your cardiologist.
He said stents do not interfere with MRI, and 1.5 Tesla and 3 Tesla MRI are now comfortable with today’s thin-strut stents. Interference is more a concern with pacemakers or larger devices. Always tell the scan centre about any implant.
Watch the full session
Want to hear it from Dr. Ghosh Dastidar himself? The full Dil Ke Doubts session is below (in Hindi). His answers on stents start at about 07:25.
▶️ Watch the full session: Angioplasty and Stents · Please also Subscribe on YouTube @hearthealthindia.
In Dr. Ghosh Dastidar’s words (translated from Hindi): “Once a stent is deployed, it should last the whole life. That is the primary aim of angioplasty.”
Authoritative sources (for further reading)
These links support general education about stents and angioplasty. They do not replace Dr. Ghosh Dastidar’s words in the session above, and they are not personal medical advice.
- NHLBI (NIH) — Stents
- NHS — Coronary angioplasty and stent insertion
- MedlinePlus — Angioplasty
- Cardiological Society of India
About this article
Disclaimer: The medical information in this article is based only on the views shared by the session speaker, Dr. Dipankar Ghosh Dastidar. It is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your cardiologist for advice personalised to you. In an emergency, go to the nearest hospital immediately. See also our medical disclaimer.
This is not medical advice. In an emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital.
You don’t have to figure this out alone
Heart Health India is a community of patients, families and caregivers learning together, with India’s cardiologists, how to look after our hearts. If you or someone you love has had a stent and has questions about life after it, come ask them, share what you’re going through, and hear from people who’ve been there.
