The treatment of coronary artery disease using stents has become a widely accepted technique. However, the inadvertent co-implantation of contaminating factors with the stent has received little attention. We studied histological cross-sections of stented porcine coronary arteries and observed contamination of some vessels with surgical glove powder and textile fibres. The contaminating particles were associated with a foreign body reaction. Such a reaction could delay the wound-healing response of a stented vessel and thereby prolong the period in which subacute thrombosis could occur. It is also proposed that air contamination could affect the thrombogenicity of the stent. Appropriate measures should be followed to reduce the chance of contamination occurring.