Arterial stents. X-ray of the abdomen of a patient with stents (wire mesh tubes) in two arteries. The aorta, the body's main artery is running down centre. The stents are in the coeliac trunk (upper centre on left of aorta) and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA, just below coeliac trunk) at their junctions with the aorta. The stents are used to treat stenosis (narrowing) of the arteries. They hold the artery open, restoring normal blood flow. The most common cause of stenosis is atheroma, fatty deposits that thicken the inner coat of the arteries.