 [ Symptoms ] how does a doctor choose the kind of stent needed to treat heart blockages [ Disease ] there are two basic types of stents that cardiologists use to treat blockages in coronary arteries both are made of metal but one type is coated with a polymer that has drugs embedded in it that can help prevent the re narrowing of the blockage that occurs in 20 30 of the blockages treated with the bare metal stents these drug eluting stents were a major step forward in the technology used to treat blockages but they also carry with them a need for longer periods of antiplatelet therapy aspirin plus clopidogrel than was required with the bare metal ones it is these two characteristcs reducing the risk of re narrowing balanced against the need for long term antiplatelet treatment that influence which stent a cardiologist might use to treat blockages for example blockages with a greater likelihood for re narrowing include very long blockages in smaller arteries cardiologists might more likely use a drug eluting stent for these while using bare metal ones for more discrete blockages in large arteries this is just one example cardiologists consider many patient factors for example is someone willing to take clopidogrel for a year as well as technical factors when making these decisions if you find out that you need a stent ask your cardiologist how and why heshe will make these decisions