After a blocked artery is treated with angioplasty to restore blood flow, the artery may become blocked again. This is called restenosis. One way to prevent restenosis is to place a stent inside the artery at the spot where the blockage was cleared by angioplasty. A stent is a tiny, metal mesh tube that is placed with a catheter and permanently embedded within the artery wall to prop open and prevent it from collapsing.
Associations between Agent Orange and other dioxin-contaminated herbicides and structural birth defects like spina bifida, oral clefts, heart defects and hypospadias may be just the âtip of the icebergâ.
Effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam. In addition to the massive environmental impact of the U.S. defoliation program in Vietnam, that nation has reported that some 400,000 people were killed or maimed as a result of exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange.