Actress Sushmita Sen recently said in an interview that when she suffered a heart attack and underwent stent insertion, she was completely conscious and watched the entire procedure. She claimed she was not sedated at all. Normally, people believe that angioplasty (stent insertion) requires anesthesia or sedation. This raises an important question: Are patients really awake during stent procedures, or was Sushmita Sen’s case unusual?

To understand the medical reality, cardiologists and heart specialists shared their insights.

What actually happens during stent insertion?
Dr. Ajit Jain, Associate Professor and Surgeon in the Cardiology Department at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi, explains:

• Before a stent is inserted, routine tests are done — blood pressure, sugar levels, and other health parameters.
• If everything is normal, the procedure begins by making a small opening near the thigh or wrist.
• A thin tube (catheter) fitted with a balloon is inserted and guided through blood vessels all the way to the heart.
• The process is performed while doctors watch the movement of the tube on a screen in real time.
• Once the catheter reaches the blocked artery, the balloon is inflated. The stent expands and pushes the blockage aside.
• The balloon is then deflated and removed, leaving the stent in place to keep the artery open.

Patients are monitored for a few hours afterwards. Most people feel only mild discomfort, not severe pain. Depending on recovery, they may be discharged the same day or the next.

Is anesthesia always required?
Dr. Varun Bansal from Apollo Hospital, Delhi, clarifies:

• In most angioplasty procedures, patients are awake.
• General anesthesia (full unconsciousness) is NOT normally used for stent placement.
• Instead, doctors give one local anesthesia injection — usually near the thigh or wrist — to numb the area where the catheter is inserted.
• The rest of the procedure is done while the patient is conscious and able to respond.
• Full anesthesia is used only in bypass surgery, not routine stent insertion.
• Only in rare cases — such as very elderly patients or those who cannot tolerate being awake — doctors may use sedation.

So was Sushmita Sen’s case unusual?
Not at all. What she described is actually how most angioplasty procedures are done. The patient remains awake, feels only mild pressure or discomfort, and watches the procedure if they choose to.