How Safe Are Drug Coated Stents?
Featured ArticleMain Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics; Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 03 Dec 2006 - 10:00 PDT
| Patient / Public: | ![]() |
4.45 (91 votes) |
| Healthcare Prof: | ![]() |
4 (14 votes) |
Drug-coated stents are very small coils which are placed in your artery and slowly release a medicine which makes sure the artery does not clamp shut again. Over six million people around the world have received this 'medical wonder' - people who suffered chest pain and/or heart attacks.
Drug coated stents were seen as wonderful and completely safe. However, doctors say it is possible that if a patient does not stay on Plavix, his chances of developing dangerous blood clots are significantly raised. The trouble is, nobody knows how safe the long-term taking of Plavix, an anti-clotting medication, is for stent patients. In the USA, Plavix costs $4 per day.
Some doctors say the raised risk is not significant - about five clots are found in every 1,000 drug-coated stent patients - and are concerned an overreaction to the risk could undermine patients' long term options.
An FDA panel will meet in a few days to discuss this. Meanwhile, stent patients are being asked to continue taking their medication(s).
Stents are inserted during an angioplasty. A miniscule deflated balloon is positioned next to a clog, it is then inflated, thus flattening the clog, a tiny mesh scaffolding (stent) is placed in the area to keep the artery open.
Doctors are not sure what to do when confronted with patients who have developed new blockages - they could use the traditional metal stents, perform bypass surgery, or use just drugs.
A bypass operation costs much more and is risker than an angioplasty.
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
MLA
12 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/58085.php>
APA
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/58085.php.
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
|
Rate this article: (Hover over the stars then click to rate) |
Patient / Public: |
or |
Health Professional: |
Add Your Opinion
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.
![]()
Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.





