stent

noun \ ˈstent \

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Definition of stent

: a short narrow metal or plastic tube often in the form of a mesh that is inserted into the lumen of an anatomical vessel (such as an artery or a bile duct) especially to keep a previously blocked passageway open

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Recent Examples of stent from the Web

Not long before the operation, doctors had to insert a stent to keep a coronary artery open, something that normally would have put him on blood thinners for six months and precluded surgery.

— lenny bernstein, Washington Post, "Her obstetrician father brought her into the world. Last month, she saved his life.," 6 Jan. 2018
The idea is an alternative to fluoroscopy guided procedures, the X-ray technology that doctors now use to place a stent graft within an artery.

— laura landro, WSJ, "The Operating Room of the Future," 28 May 2018
Because of the accident, the main artery in her leg also partially collapsed and required a stent.

— NBC News, "Katie Arrington, Trump-backed congressional hopeful, released from hospital after car crash," 6 July 2018
Mule said Arrington would need more surgeries, as well as a stent to repair the partial collapse of the primary artery in her legs, and would need to stay in the hospital for two weeks.

— meg kinnard, BostonGlobe.com, "US House candidate who beat Sanford seriously hurt in wreck," 24 June 2018
In 2016, Medicare reported that stents inserted into arteries in outpatient settings cost an average of $645 more than if done inpatient.

— john dorschner, miamiherald, "The South Florida Hospital War. (It’s all location, location, location) | Miami Herald," 25 Feb. 2018
At age 69, Kennedy had a stent placed in one of his heart arteries, and underwent the same procedure a year later.

— NBC News, "Justice Kennedy to retire, Trump can solidify court's conservative majority," 27 June 2018
Emergency rescuers helicoptered Cargo to a hospital, and doctors inserted a stent into his coronary artery.

— matt maynard, Outside Online, "Setting a Speed Record from Patagonia to Alaska," 25 June 2018
Additionally, the main artery in her legs has a partial collapse and will require a stent.

— christina caron, New York Times, "Katie Arrington, South Carolina Candidate Who Beat Mark Sanford, Is Seriously Hurt in Crash," 23 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of stent

Charles Thomas Stent †1885 English dentist

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1961

in the meaning defined above

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STENT Defined for English Language Learners

stent

noun

Definition of stent for English Language Learners

medical : a metal or plastic tube that is put in a blood vessel to keep it open

Medical Dictionary

stent

noun \ ˈstent \

variants: also stint play \ˈstint\

medical Definition of stent

1 : a mold formed from a resinous compound and used for holding a surgical graft in place; also : something (as a pad of gauze immobilized by sutures) used like a stent

2 : a short narrow metal or plastic tube often in the form of a mesh that is inserted into the lumen of an anatomical vessel (as an artery or bile duct) especially to keep a previously blocked passageway open

Biographical Note for stent

Stent, Charles Thomas (1807–1885), British dentist. In the mid 19th century Stent developed a dental-impression compound containing gutta-percha, stearine, and talc, which he produced and sold with the aid of his sons Charles Robert (1845–1901) and Arthur Howard (1859–1900), who also became dentists. In 1899 the compound was trademarked under the name Stents. During World War I the Dutch plastic surgeon J. F. S. Esser discovered that Stent's compound could also be used to form molds for holding skin grafts in place, and in a 1917 publication he referred to such molds as “stents molds.” Over the next several decades the singular form stent became a generally used term in plastic and oral surgery. The meaning of stent continued to be expanded to include other types of artificial supports for human tissue. In 1954 the American surgeon William ReMine applied the term stent to a polyethylene tube used to support an anastomosis in an experimental biliary reconstruction. By 1966 stent (or sometimes stint) had been used for tubular supports in cardiovascular surgery, and by 1972 the term was also being used for urological supports.