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The History of Coronary Stents

Catheters and balloons are the basis for implanting a coronary stent to hold an artery open. The first known used of a catheter was in ancient Egypt. Catheter use progressed and are now inserted into a vein to clear and open a restricted artery and implant a stent.

  1. Coronary Catheter

    • The first use of a coronary catheter was in 1929 by Doctor Werner Forssmann in Germany. He inserted a catheter in his own antecubital vein and into his right atrium. Dr. Forssmann received a Nobel Prize for this work in 1956. In 1941, Doctors Cournand and Richards used the procedure as a diagnostic tool. They received the Nobel Prize with Forssmann.

    Balloons

    • In 1974, Andreas Gruentzig tested using balloons on animals to test the procedure to open an artery. In 1977, he performed the first procedure on a patient that was awake.

    Stents

    • The FDA approved the first device to clear and hold open an artery on Aug. 3, 1994. It was a stainless steel device placed in the coronary artery to hold it open. Since then they have been a common procedure. Materials and medicines to prevent blockages improved to make them a safe and beneficial advancement to medicine.

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