Perioperative nursing interventions for intravascular stent placements

Keeping abreast of changing surgical technologies is among the more challenging aspects of perioperative nursing. Because peripheral vascular disease is a leading cause of lower extremity disabilities that require surgical interventions, new procedures and techniques are being developed continually. These procedures involve the insertion of intraluminal structural supports into patients who have had mixed or unsuccessful results from angioplasty. Perioperative nurses are an integral part of vascular surgery teams performing the insertion of intravascular stents. To function effectively, perioperative nurses must understand the concepts of intravascular stent procedures, nursing diagnoses, and nursing interventions that promote optimal patient outcomes.